Airports Commission backs third runway for Heathrow over second runway at Gatwick

Twenty years’ debate on how to increase airline capacity serving London, UK, is nearing a conclusion, though today’s announcement is far from definitive. Though the Airports Commission has decided that Heathrow would be the better of three options for increasing air traffic serving the city of London, the Government has still to give its seal of approval. Consequently, owing to the political sensitivity of the situation, Government approval for Heathrow would fly in the face of statements made by David Cameron, the PM and Conservative party Leader, back in 2009. The Commission’s findings have already seen the vociferous Boris Johnson, London’s mayor and potential PM in waiting, speaking in BBC Radio 4 this morning making it quite clear he feels that the environmental impact on the area will see too great a protest to allow the third runway to be built. “It’s not going to happen,” he stated, adding that the “discomfort being endured” by those in London on the hottest day of the year “would be nothing compared to the noise pollution that will be visited on hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of innocent people and the vehicular pollution as a result of a catastrophic decision to increase runway capacity in the west of the city”. Mr Johnson himself has always been keener on the construction of a total new airport located in the Thames estuary.
It is understood that over 800 homes will be demolished in the proposed construction of the third Heathrow runway, these homes being compulsorily purchased at 125% of current market value. The actual budget estimate for the runway’s construction stands at £17.6bn (US$27.5bn), while infrastructure surrounding the site – roads, railway, etc. is budgeted at approaching £5.0bn (US$7.8bn.) The cost of adding an additional runway at Gatwick has been budgeted at £7.0bn (US$11.5bn). As far as economic implications are concerned, it is understood the new runway at Heathrow would provide an additional 77,000 jobs and create economic growth approaching £147.0bn (US$242.5bn) by 2050. However, it is believed the economic consideration would likely be the same wherever the additional capacity for aircraft was created. The new runway at Heathrow would enable London to connect with an additional 40 destinations and allow the UK’s capital to remain a strategic hub in worldwide aviation. However the Heathrow option would come with a swathe of restrictions bearing in mind the greater potential environmental impact that would be created and which would not exist at Gatwick.
Sir Howard Davies’ report made it very clear the new runway should come with severe restrictions to reduce the environmental and noise problems. “The best answer is to expand Heathrow’s capacity through a new north-west runway,” he said. “Heathrow is best placed to provide the type of capacity which is most urgently required: long haul destinations to new markets. It provides the greatest benefits for business passengers and the broader economy. Adding capacity at Heathrow also provides an opportunity to change the airport’s relationship with its local communities. To make expansion possible the Commission recommends a comprehensive package of measures including a ban on night flights and a new noise levy to fund a far stronger and more generous set of compensation and mitigation schemes,” he concluded.
Whether the final decision sees Heathrow or Gatwick chosen, it is understood that either venture would be funded by private finance. John Longworth, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce welcomed the report, stating “Now that all the evidence is on the table, firms in every corner of the UK want to see an irreversible government commitment to a new runway at Heathrow by the end of 2015, with planning complete and diggers on the ground by the end of this parliament in 2020.”