BAA can still fight for Heathrow expansion says minister
BAA is free to fight for a third runway during the consultation on aviation claims the transport minister.
The Heathrow operator signalled that it could take legal action if ministers refuse to consider responses that make the case for Heathrow expansion.
But while Theresa Villiers reiterated the Government’s opposition to expanding Heathrow, she added that BAA could lobby for a policy change, reports the Financial Times.
"If BAA want to come along and argue for a different approach – of course we’ll consider their representations and the evidence that they submit," said Ms Villiers in an interview.
But she added the Government had to balance the needs of the economy with concerns about the environmental impact of aviation.
"The commercial interest of BAA is one thing – it’s not necessarily the same as the economic needs of the overall economy. We have a wider picture to look at."
The transport secretary questioned whether the UK was suffering from a capacity crunch, highlighting how British Airways, gaining new slots through its purchase of bmi,, was starting to provide new routes to Asia from the airport.
She added the aviation industry needed to consider whether some flights coming into Heathrow could land at other airports in south-east England with spare capacity, so that Heathrow could focus on destinations "with the greatest economic added value".
The government has delayed a consultation document about airport capacity issues from March to the summer.
Diane
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