Author Archives: Gatwick Obviously

With the election decided, the Airports Commission – appointed by the Government to come up with a solution to the need for more runway capacity in the South East – will now be finalising its recommendation on where the UK’s next runway should be built.

Before it is a straight choice between Gatwick and Heathrow for one new runway by 2030.

A decision on where Britain’s next runway should be built is expected this summer and, even after years of debate, Gatwick’s expansion plan remains the best and most deliverable solution to the need for extra capacity.

For the first time, Gatwick has been allowed to stake its claim for expansion. Heathrow’s plan would blight the lives of hundreds of thousands of people and reinforce a high-cost monopoly provider at the expense of passengers – but now, finally, there is an alternative.

While the airport expansion debate has rolled on for decades, what everyone can unite around is the fact that something needs to happen. Expanding Gatwick will provide the connectivity and capacity the UK needs, help the industry respond to change, and encourage competition, innovation, and growth.

Gatwick’s plan is flexible to serve all airline business models and will reflect changing business trends meaning it can deliver more passengers and more destinations, earlier. It can provide the economic boost the UK needs and will boost choice, and enhance competition at a fraction of the cost of expansion at Heathrow.

Momentum is gathering behind Gatwick’s case for airport expansion in the South East as the debate over where the UK’s next runway should be built reaches a crucial point.

The Commission will have to consider a range of factors in making its final decision but the consultation document indicates why expansion at Gatwick best answers all the questions. It can give the country two world class airports.