Qatar Airways warns UK heading for catastrophe
Middle East carrier Qatar Airways has waded into the increasingly heated debate about airport capacity in the southeast of England, urging the British government to give the go ahead for a third runway at Heathrow.
On the day that a second runway at Gatwick Airport was mooted as a possible alternative to further expansion at Heathrow, Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker said the government needed to take urgent action to increase capacity to avoid a "catastrophic situation".
Speaking to a gathering of aviation bosses at the Aviation Club in London, Al Baker said the third runway at Heathrow was not an option, but a necessity. "Heathrow is bursting at the seams and has already reached a critical point," he said.
"Already heading towards a double dip recession, the UK cannot afford to lose out on the huge benefits a third runway would bring to the economy in southeast England and the country as a whole through the creation of more jobs and more business opportunities.
"No capacity increase will inevitably lead to further economic hardship with job losses and businesses closing down.
"Heathrow is already losing out to European neighbouring hubs that have the resource to expand capacity.
"Measures to expand need to be taken soon to avoid a catastrophic situation in the future. The UK government cannot afford to immerse itself in long winded debate and public enquiries. Action needs to be taken."
While he admitted that the proposal for a new airport in the Thames Estuary was "a good idea" he suggested more immediate action was needed. "This a project that will potentially take at least 20 years to materialise if the go-ahead is given today. Can the UK wait 20 years?
"During this period, we will see airports expand significantly across the Continent – and of course in my region."
Although Qatar Airways has managed to increase the frequency of its service to Doha from Heathrow to five a day, he said there was demand for further expansion.
"As we prepare to move to a brand new airport in Doha next year, the opportunities that will present themselves are enormous. But to really take full advantage of our new home, we need more services from places like London to cater to the demand," he added.
"With our Boeing 787 Dreamliner entering London Heathrow as our first long-haul route with this aircraft in a few weeks’ time, this demonstrates the level of confidence we have in our UK operations. The government needs to understand the importance of allowing airlines to expand and keep them at Heathrow otherwise there is a risk carriers will move away."
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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