Heathrow welcomes interim report from the Airports Commission, which short-lists a Heathrow north-west third runway as one of the options for solving the UK’s aviation capacity crisis. As the UK’s only hub airport, and the only airport with a proven ability to deliver direct and frequent flights to long-haul markets, Heathrow is the quickest, cheapest and surest way to connect the UK to growth.
Heathrow’s shortlisted option for a full-length runway located to the north-west is better than the 2003 Air Transport White Paper proposal for a short third runway. There will be fewer households within Heathrow’s noise footprint with a third runway than there are today due to quieter aircraft, steeper landing approaches, and the runway’s location further to the west. Unlike the previous proposal, the north-west option will deliver periods of community respite from noise with no aircraft overhead.
We will now work with local authorities, local communities and other stakeholders to develop its runway option further. We plan on consulting next year as we develop our proposals in more detail.
Colin Matthews, Heathrow’s Chief Executive, said:
“Britain is better off when we’re connected. The world economy is changing fast and Britain needs a world-class hub airport with the capacity to compete against Paris, Frankfurt and Amsterdam. A third runway is the quickest, cheapest and surest way of connecting the UK to growth.
“We have thought afresh about how a third runway can be delivered. Our new option is different from the previous proposal for a third runway and will deliver the flights Britain needs while continuing to reduce the total number of people affected by aircraft noise.”
We do not oppose other airports being permitted to grow or add new runways. Heathrow is the UK’s only hub airport and competes with Frankfurt, Paris and Amsterdam for transfer passengers to support long haul routes. Point-to-point airports like Gatwick serve a different market. Heathrow does not agree with Gatwick’s stance that there can only be one new runway in the South East. We are pleased that the Commission recognises that there is not a binary choice between providing additional hub capacity or additional point-to-point capacity. We would welcome a solution in which point to point airports were allowed to grow alongside the UK’s only hub airport to deliver choice for passengers and airlines.
The length of the process for making a policy decision on new runways harms UK competitiveness, creates unnecessary anxiety for residents whose homes may be affected and fosters an uncertain climate for business investment. Heathrow encourages the Government to make a clear decision as soon as the Commission releases its final report and consider what steps could be taken to accelerate any subsequent planning process.
Heathrow is today reiterating the commitments it made when it published this option in July. If the Government supports a third runway, Heathrow will:
- Connect Britain to economic growth - by enabling airlines to add new flights to fast-growing markets
- Connect UK nations and regions to global markets - by working with airlines and government to deliver better air and rail links between UK regions and Heathrow
- Protect 114,000 existing local jobs and create tens of thousands of new jobs nationwide - by developing our local employment, apprenticeships and skills programmes and supporting a supply chain throughout the UK
- Build more quickly and at lower cost to taxpayers than building a new airport - by building on the strength the UK already has at Heathrow
- Reduce aircraft noise - by encouraging the world’s quietest aircraft to use Heathrow and routing aircraft higher over London so that fewer people are affected by noise than today
- Lessen noise impacts for people under flight-paths - by delivering periods of noise respite with no aircraft overhead and providing noise insulation for people in high-noise areas
- Treat those most affected by a third runway fairly - by ensuring compensation greater than market value is offered to anyone whose home needs to be purchased
- Keep CO2 emissions within UK climate change targets and play our part in meeting local air quality limits - by incentivising cleaner aircraft, supporting global carbon trading and increasing public transport use
- Increase the proportion of passengers using public transport to access Heathrow to more than 50% - by supporting new rail, bus and coach schemes to improve public transport to Heathrow
- Reduce delays and disruption - by further improving Heathrow’s resilience to severe weather and unforeseen events
