25 April 2008

Heathrow must stay, says Lord Soley

Lord Soley, campaign director of Future Heathrow, has called for a fresh approach to the discussions on the future of Heathrow Airport.

Speaking to the Royal Aeronautical Society today, he blasted a growing campaign to build a new hub airport and close Heathrow.

He said an airport in the Thames estuary was not the answer and had been rejected after careful consideration.

"Those in favour of closing Heathrow seriously underestimate the cost and the environmental impact of creating a new hub elsewhere," he said.

Soley also highlighted the importance of rail and said it should play an important part in fully integrated airport expansion.

"We have an opportunity to show that a modernised and expanded Heathrow can be developed as an intermodal hub as has already happened in Europe.

"Rail and air may compete but they are also complementary if provided in a way that allows the passengers a choice that fits their needs,"he said.

He said there was a lack of understanding about the role of hub airports, which has led opponents of Heathrow to believe it can remain as it is, with other London airports or rail as alternatives to expansion.

"But, over 40% of the passengers flying from Manchester to Heathrow are transferring to international flights and around 30% from Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Glasgow.

"Do we really think these passengers are going to get the train to London, take their luggage on the tube before checking in to their onward flight at Heathrow? I think they are going to check into their final destination and fly straight there via Heathrow. And if they canÃ¢â¬â¢t go via Heathrow they will go via one of the continental hubs.

"Heathrow can only fly passengers to 180 destinations compared to 227 in 1990. Frankfurt can fly passengers to 307 and they lie at the heart of the emerging European market of 600 million people. They have a dynamic and expanding financial sector which also contains the European Bank. Can we really allow the future of Heathrow to drift any further into decline?

"Local opponents of a third runway share my concern that Heathrow must not close. We need a new approach between local councils, local groups, the airport, trade unions and industry to campaign for a proper intermodal hub that can compete with Frankfurt, Paris and Amsterdam."

By: Bev Fearis