Boris Island rejected by Airport Commission
London Mayor Boris Johnson’s plan to build a new London airport in the Thames Estuary has been killed off by the commission looking into where, when and how to expand capacity in the southeast of England.
The Airport Commission, led by Sir Howard Davies, today rejected the plan for a new four-runway airport on the Isle of Grain.
The Commission is now considering whether it is better to build a third runway at Heathrow, extend existing runways or build a second runway at Gatwick.
Johnson described its decision to reject the ‘Boris Island’ alternative as ‘myopic’.
Sir Howard’s final report is expected next summer, but the government won’t take a final decision on which airport should be expanded to created room for much-needed extra flights until after the General Election.
Johnson’s proposals for a new airport in the inner Thames Estuary didn’t make the short-list drawn up by the Commission in December, but Sir Howard, agreed to conduct further investigations into the proposal.
However, several independent studies published by the Commission over the summer highlighted the significant environmental and financial challenges of building a hub airport on the Isle of Grain, which is home to several protected wildlife habitats.
The costs of an Estuary Airport have also been estimated at up to £112 billion.
Airlines welcomed the Commission’s decision to rule out the proposal. Board of Airline Representatives in the UK chief executive,Dale Keller, said "Airlines were never convinced that the Thames Estuary was either affordable or a convenient location for the majority of their customers.
"Since airlines and their passengers will ultimately have to pay for the development costs of the selected expansion site then the business case must stack up in order for the UK to remain globally competitive.
"We call upon Boris to support the important work of the Airports Commission and ensure that the right decisions are made about Heathrow and Gatwick"
The British Air Transport Association described the Commission’s decision as ‘sensible’. Chief executive Nathan Stower said: "Britain needs additional runway capacity in the South East of England, but not at any price.
"With the Thames estuary option sensibly ruled out for good, the Airports Commission is free now to concentrate on scrutinising the business cases of the three shortlisted options.
"The proposals must be cost effective and offer value for money. There needs to be a credible funding mechanism based on realistic forecasts and today’s passengers must not be expected to pay for tomorrow’s infrastructure."
Heathrow chief executive John Holland-Kaye said: "We have always agreed with the Mayor that Britain needs a successful hub airport to compete in the global race for jobs and growth . Heathrow is now the only hub left in the race. We would like to work with the Mayor to deliver Heathrow expansion in a way that benefits the whole country while reducing noise impacts for local people compared to today."
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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