One of the first acts of the Coalition was to scrap plans for a third runway at Heathrow, whilst Boris Johnson’s plans for a new airport on an artifical island in the Thames Estuary have not been going anywhere much. So what next for the region’s airports?
This is what the BBC had to report:
What’s your view?
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3 Comments
They can build more airports if and when they develop aeroplanes that don’t belch toxic filth into the atmosphere and kill thousands of people a year in London. As far as I understand it breakthroughs and developments in fuel-efficiency technology for planes are continuing apace.
In the short-to-medium term, investment in and expansion of High-speed rail, providing both a fast link between airports and an alternative to short-haul domestic and near-continent flights will serve to increase the available capacity for long haul services without an increase in total take-offs and landings. If air travel continues to grow (and let us for a moment assume the climate change and pollution implications of this are dealt with somehow!) then I think the time will come when we have to seriously consider “Boris Island.” Even a stopped clock is right twice a day, and it is not as if the idea is completely fanciful – Hong Kong built an airport on an artificial island which opened in 1998. It would solve the problem of aircraft approaching over London and with a high-speed link, passengers would be able to reach the city faster than currently possible from Heathrow, never mind Gatwick.
The time frame for HS2 and the opposition that it is already developing will do little to aid capacity in even the medium term. I do not support a third runway at Heathrow or a second at Gatwick and coming from the north I am proud of Manchester airport. However I do believe that Boris is right – the UK needs a proper functioning airport for the capital and given all the problems at the existing airports in needs to be a brand new airport. However we cannot afford to wait – given our planning system. If we start now we might have a chance of it opening in 2035. The longer this goes on the more businisses will move to Paris, Frankfurt or Schipol.Whilst that might not be the environmentally friendly message some people would like to hear it is the economically important want. That is why the government is currently consulting on its airport policy.