Leeds Bradford Airport boss backs third runway plan at Heathrow

The new proposal was described by the Airports Commission as “fundamentally different”, citing accompanying conditions to ban night flights and introduce a noise levy.

“Our new plans have been designed around the needs of local communities and will meet carbon, air quality and noise targets, and provides the greatest benefit to the UK’s connectivity and its long term economic growth”.

The fast-growing Dubai hub overtook Heathrow previous year as the world’s busiest airport for global passenger traffic, while in Europe, Heathrow’s two runways compare to the four at Charles de Gaulle in Paris and six at Amsterdam’s Schiphol. Re:locate gets the response from the regions beyond London.

The report also identified the new longer franchise being tendered for the Greater Anglia franchise next year as “an opportunity to support the airport’s aims of updating rolling stock and securing more early and late services”.

On the issue of cutting air passenger duty (APD) on flights, the commission said while it is “aware that the tax is unpopular with airlines” it “considers APD to be a valuable feature of a sustainable aviation industry in the UK”.

“Heathrow’s growth and an increase in LBA services to London’s hub airport will boost Yorkshire’s economy by increasing its export potential, deliver jobs, drive inward investment to the region and attract more overseas visitors to visit our wonderful cities and countryside”.

Heathrow chief executive John Holland-Kaye said: “This debate has never been about a runway, it’s been about the future we want for Britain”. It has lacked discussion on the relationship between the airport, London and the rest of the United Kingdom, and more effort could have been devoted to the analysis of system-wide resilience and robustness of the United Kingdom air transport network. “If the Government makes a decision based on this test, it would be vulnerable to legal challenge”.

In order to deploy more PSOs, the commission suggests the government interpret the PSO regime more widely than at present.

Ian Hare of PAGNE, Pulborough Against Gatwick Noise and Emissions, said: “We are pleased that the Davies Commission has recognised the sound commercial arguments for opting for a further runway at Heathrow”.

Business leaders and entrepreneurs are likely to be less than impressed with more delays.

Commenting on the recommendations, she said: “I’m delighted with the news that the Airports Commission has backed Heathrow as the preferred option and urge the Government to follow through on the recommendation as quickly as feasible”. “That time is now and with the positive recommendations in place we look forward to swift and decisive action that will turn those recommendations into reality”. Davies clearly doesn’t care about us, our communities or our health.

The suggestion of an island airport in the Thames has been dismissed by Essex County Council a “flight of fancy, as has a second runway at Stansted”. This is significant, because by 2025 there will be 7,000 new $1 billion companies globally, and almost seven in 10 will be in emerging economies.