Airports Commission makes clear case for third Heathrow runway

Sir Howard Davies has made a passionate call for a third runway at Heathrow, saying it will boost the economy by £147 billion and create 70,000 jobs by 2050.

The additional runway will enable flights to more than 40 new destinations, he said.

Sir Howard, who led a three-year inquiry into airport capacity in the southeast of England, said the case for expansion was ‘overwhelming’.

He said a second runway at Gatwick was a ‘credible’ option, but that it was less able to provide connections to long-haul destinations and the economic benefits would be lower.

Gatwick chief executive Stewart Wingate responded saying the airport was ‘still very much in the race’.

A third option, to extend extending runways at Heathrow, was rejected. Sir Howard said that the recommendation for a new runway to the north of the present airport was ‘clear and unanimous’.

"The best answer is to expand Heathrow’s capacity through a new north-west runway,"  he said."Heathrow is best placed to provide the type of capacity which is most urgently required: long haul destinations to new markets. It provides the greatest benefits for business passengers and the broader economy."

However, he said there was ‘no credible case’ for a fourth runway at Heathrow, suggesting that by 2050 – and maybe earlier – a second runway should be built at Gatwick instead.

Around 750 homes will have to be demolished if the Government accepts the Airports Commission findings and gives planning consent for Heathrow to expand, and Sir Howard acknowledged that more than 500,000 people will be affected by noise.

He proposed a legal ceiling and an independent regulator to prevent increases on current levels. Night flights should be banned, he said.

Airline groups and ABTA welcomed his announcement and urged the Government to act quickly to get the runway built.

The Board of Airline Representatives in the UK (BAR UK) said: "The Government now needs to evaluate the independent findings of the Airports Commission and to expediently act upon their recommendations.

"Now is the time for everyone, including politicians of all parties, to pull together in the national interest and support the bold plans to expand and improve airport infrastructure at Heathrow in order to maintain the UK’s position as Europe’s most important aviation hub.  

"Since the major cost of funding the expansion will ultimately be borne by passengers, it is essential that the final scheme is viable and cost-effective for future generations and does not burden today’s passengers with excessive airport charges."

ABTA chief executive Mark Tanzer said: "Increasing airport capacity is essential to the UK’s growth and global competitiveness; we are pleased that this recommendation has been arrived at through fair, transparent, and thorough processes and consultations.

"Today’s announcement is the first step towards the delivery of urgently needed capacity at the UK’s hub airport and we now look forward to  the Government’s response.  We call on Government to work across party boundaries and create a robust political consensus which will deliver this recommendation for UK businesses, and passengers. ABTA will be working with the Government, as well as the opposition front benches to help build consensus."

However, Ryanair called for a three-runway solution. Its spokesman Kenny Jacobs said: "Ryanair believes that the proposed Heathrow runway – which won’t be delivered for 10 or 15 years – won’t solve the runway capacity crisis in the South East.

"Ryanair strongly advocates taking politicians out of runway decision making and allowing each of the three London airports, Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted, to build three competing runways which will solve the capacity crisis in the South East for the next 100 years, while at the same time allowing competition between the airports to deliver this capacity efficiently.

"It remains a fact that additional runways in Stansted and Gatwick can and will be delivered much earlier than any Heathrow third runway."

The Government is not expected to announce its final decision on extra runway capacity until the autumn, at the earliest.

Even if it accepts Sir Howard’s recommendation, there will be a lengthy planning consultation and the new runway is not expected to be completed for another 10 years.

London Mayor Boris Johnson, whose alternative proposal for a totally new four-runway airport in the Thames Estuary was rejected by Sir Howard, said he will campaign vigorously against a new Heathrow runway.

Luton Airport called for a more integrated transport plan for the southeast to maximise use of the six existing runways.

Chief executive Nick Barton said: "The report makes clear that a new runway may not be available for several years, yet London’s airport system needs to grow and thrive in the meantime. We’re currently investing £100m to meet the growing demand for air travel in the short-medium term.

"Even with the addition of a seventh London runway, according to the DfT’s own projections capacity by 2030 will still struggle to meet demand.

"That means we need to realise the full potential of the runways we already have. London needs an integrated transport plan focused, particularly on rail connections, to improve transport links to and from London’s airports and free up the additional capacity the UK so vitally needs."

Edinburgh Airport, whose parent Global Infrastructure Partners also owns Gatwick, said it was disappointed at the report’s recommendations.

"We’ve been clear in our argument that expansion at Heathrow is not deliverable and as a result there can be no increased capacity in the south east. Long-haul flights can’t fly from a runway that won’t be built," said a spokesman.

"Gatwick is the more deliverable option for Scottish passengers and we’re urging the government to make a quick decision on this."