Transport secretary Geoff Hoon yesterday confirmed approval for the construction of a third runway at Heathrow.
He told Parlament that a an initial cap on additional flights from the new runway of 125,000 would mean new slots would be 'green slots' and would create a new target on aircraft emissions.
There is also a "strong case" for a new high speed rail hub at Heathrow and a company would be set up to investigate creating a high speed line between London and Scotland, Hoon said.
REACTION:
*VisitBritain executive chairman Christopher Rodrigues said: "Tourism means jobs and this is a very positive decision for Britain's tourism industry.
“St Pancras and Terminal 5 have shown how valuable it is to get the right infrastructure for domestic and international travel. These proposals will make Britain's fifth biggest industry – tourism – even more competitive and offer all tourists better access to the whole of Britain."
*UKinbound chief executive Mary Rance said: “For a number of years Heathrow has been handling many more passengers than it was designed for and unfortunately the quality of service for passengers, and in particular the welcome for inbound visitors, has suffered.
“We only need to look to recent surveys of international travellers, who on many occasions vote Heathrow as their least favourite airport, to realise that the extra capacity is essential to match the level of service found elsewhere in Europe.
“The third runway will also reduce the number of aircraft currently circling the skies above London waiting to land and polluting the skies while they are at it. The additional incentive for only aircraft meeting tight emission standards to be allocated the increased landing slots will mean fewer carbon emissions from aviation in the long-run.
“The new high speed rail link to St Pancras and the North of England will provide a much needed alternative to flying within the UK and to near Europe.
“As a major international hub and a gateway into the UK and Europe, Heathrow’s development is vital to safeguarding the many jobs and other economic benefits that it brings.”
*Responsibletravel.com managing director Justin Francis said: "Whilst most of the members that we work with are dependent on aviation to generate business the majority of them are against the third runway.
“It's a myth that everyone in the tourism industry backs an expansion.
“We should be focussing on flying less, and improving the benefits of existing international tourism to local communities and conservation, not on flying more."
*ABTA chief executive Mark Tanzer said: “Heathrow has received a barrage of criticism over recent years for poor customer service much of which is directly attributable to its operating at near peak capacity. A new runway will help address this problem.
“Currently the skies above Heathrow are often full of aircraft circling in 'stacks' waiting for a landing slot to become available. This polluting and fuel inefficient practice will be largely eradicated by the provision of a new runway.
“Any new development must come with strict environmental controls and I am delighted that the Government has factored this in. However, I am disappointed that the use of mixed mode has been rejected as this system can radically improve the flow of aircraft.”
Infrastructure improvements in the form of a new high speed rail link between London and Scotland, are also welcomed but ABTA believes that demand for air travel in the UK is strongest in the South East and its other main airport Gatwick, is also in urgent need of a new runway and infrastructure investment.
*British Airways chief executive Willie Walsh said: “This is the right decision for jobs and investment in the UK. Heathrow is our national hub airport and Britain cannot succeed in a global economy without the capacity for excellent air links already built by our international competitors.
“The Government has imposed additional, tough environmental safeguards on the way the airport will operate and a new system for rigorous enforcement. Heathrow will set new world standards for airport environmental performance.
“We are disappointed at the rejection of mixed-mode, which would have reduced Heathrow’s vulnerability to delays, but very much welcome the proposal of a high-speed rail hub at Heathrow.
“The Government has reached a balanced decision in the long-term interests of the whole country. I hope people will respect it. We have had six years of public debate on a third runway.
“This process has also taken very seriously the idea of an alternative hub airport in the Thames Estuary. The judgement has been made that expansion at Heathrow – which will not cost taxpayers a penny - is by far the better course.
“No-one can say the decision on a third runway has been taken hastily or without proper evaluation or research.
“We have not been good at providing new transport infrastructure in this country. Many road and rail projects have been talked about for decades without implementation. This new runway will be the first at a major airport in southern England for more than 70 years.
“Other countries have moved well ahead of Britain in building infrastructure with the capacity to underpin future prosperity. This decision has given the UK the chance to start catching up. Let’s put the debate behind us, show common purpose and create the environmentally sustainable, world-class hub airport that people in Britain deserve.”
*Guild of Travel Management Companies chief executive Philip Carlisle said: “Support for the expansion of Heathrow has been a constant theme in our meetings with political figures throughout 2008 and we are delighted to see the Government’s decision on a third runway.
“The Guild’s focus has been, and continues to be, on ensuring that those doing business from the UK find travel as efficient and effective as possible. In the tough economic times that we all find ourselves this decision is a shot in the arm for UK industry."
*GTMC chairman Maurice Veronique said: “As opponents of the decision will tell you today’s announcement does not represent the end of the struggle over Heathrow.
The Guild will continue to add its lobbying efforts alongside those of other representatives of business, industry and the workforce to ensure that the current course on Heathrow is maintained.”
*Bmi deputy CEO Tim Bye, said: “We congratulate the government in making this bold decision.
"It will ensure that Heathrow maintains its pre-eminent position as one of the world’s leading international hub airports with all of the jobs and commercial benefits that go with it. Heathrow is the UK's gateway to the world, not just London's, and provides the UK's only direct connections to a vast number of international destinations.
“If Heathrow’s development was denied it would have a far reaching impact on the whole economy of the UK. However, we fully support and endorse that any expansion must be kept within clear environmental guidelines and limitations.”
*Monarch Airlines spokesman: “Whilst Monarch firmly believes that additional runway capacity in the South East of England is fundamental to the growth of air transport in the UK, it does not agree that Heathrow is the appropriate location for this.
“The impact of an additional 200,000 flights a year will be hugely detrimental to the local communities in West London and in light of this, Monarch would have preferred, and supported, a Government decision to develop an additional runway at London Gatwick Airport instead.”
*BAA chief executive Colin Matthews welcomed the government's decision to go ahead with a third runway at Heathrow.
"This decision opens the door to Heathrow becoming a truly world class hub airport, and to the UK maintaining the direct connections to the rest of the world on which our prosperity depends," he said.
"Meeting the environmental targets will be demanding, but, whilst we have to study the detail in today's announcement, we are determined to work with the rest of the aviation industry to achieve them.
"We are also fully aware that today's decision will be a difficult one for many, particularly those residents who will be directly affected by it. We intend to work with the local community as much as possible as we go through the planning process."
*Travel Trust Association and TTA Worldchoice managing director Simon Hargreaves said: “We welcome the Government’s decision.
"However, looking forward the industry needs to work out strategies to reduce the growth in air travel and recognise that not to do so would be damaging to both the planet and our future business opportunities.”
*Chris Cuddy, CEO of flight price an comparison company Cheapflights, said: "Cheapflights lauds the Government’s decision to back a third runway at Heathrow.
“The UK’s pre-eminence as an economic European hub is dependent on sufficient capacity to meet existing and future demand and also competition from its European rivals.
“Furthermore blocking expansion would not have helped reduce climate change.
“It would have merely diverted the increased international air traffic to European airports, many of which are actively increasing runway capacity, and thereby significantly reduced Heathrow's importance as an international hub.
“Increased landing and take-off capacity will be a win-win situation for the flying public, and the economies of the UK and beyond. A healthier UK travel infrastructure will boost the engine of international commerce.”
Cheapflights argues that Heathrow, as the world’s busiest international airport, is running at an “untenable” 99% capacity.
The additional runway brings with it the prospect of lower fares, more consumer choice, and the ability of Heathrow better to compete with European competitors such as Frankfurt, Amsterdam and Paris.
Increasing Heathrow’s capacity, especially in today's global financial environment, will also help preserve approximately 600,000 UK jobs that aviation now directly and indirectly supports – a vital resuscitation of the UK’s faltering economy
Aviation is a growing global industry. Adding a third runway at Heathrow will enable the UK to keep pace with growing European and International air travel.
A healthier air travel industry will further stimulate the development of more fuel efficient and quieter aircraft., according to Cheapflights.
*Have your say - comments welcome below.
by Phil Davies
Airline
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