Heathrow needs new runway say businesses
[September 15th 2008]
One hundred companies and organisations are giving their support for a third runway at Heathrow airport.
They say that a new runway at Heathrow is vital if UK businesses are to compete internationally. Since 1990 the number of destinations available from Heathrow has fallen from 227 to 183, so the UK's only hub airport now offers 50 less destinations than Amsterdam, 60 less than Paris and 100 less than Frankfurt.
"Heathrow Airport is vital for business. It offers the direct connections which make our companies globally successful, and which will be all the more important as India and China grow," the 100 organisations say in a joint statement appearing in national newspapers today.
Among the organisations backing a new runway at Heathrow are Barclays, British Chambers of Commerce, London Stock Exchange, Tate & Lyle, TUC, and Whitbread. Together the 100 organisations employ over 825,000 people and have a combined revenue of more than £480 billion a year.
Future Heathrow, a coalition of businesses, trade unions and aviation companies including BAA, British Airways, London First, GMB, TGWU and Virgin Atlantic, is also one of the signatories to the campaign.
Businesses fear that flights to destinations such as Calcutta, Mumbai, Delhi, Beijing and Shanghai could be under threat unless a new runway is built.
"A third runway, built and operated within the strict environmental limits set by government, will ensure that Heathrow is able to provide the quality services that business and other travellers need," says director-general of the CBI, Richard Lambert.
The two runways at Heathrow now operate at over 99% capacity, so that head winds, heavy rain, fog or other problems can lead to serious airport delays.
In contrast, Paris and Madrid have four runways, Amsterdam has five, and Frankfurt has three with a fourth due to open in 2011. These airports operate at about 75% capacity and are able to cope better with any problems.
Earlier this year the government published a consultation document, Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport, examining whether a third runway and new terminal could be built at the airport. A third runway would enable Heathrow to handle about 700,000 flights a year and increase passenger numbers from 67 million to 120 million by 2020.
If a new runway is approved at Heathrow it may affect the outcome of the enquiry into whether a second runway should be built at Stansted airport.
Written by: Nick Purdom
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