Liz Cameron, Director and Chief Executive of Scottish Chambers of Commerce, said: ” “The expansion of capacity at Heathrow has many potential benefits for Scotland, but only if our air links to Heathrow improve””.
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In its long-awaited report, the Commission said adding a third runway to the United Kingdom hub offered the “strongest case” for boosting regional and worldwide connectivity, but cautioned that growing demand for landing slots meant that “even an expanded Heathrow may accommodate fewer domestic routes in future”.
Both Mayor Boris Johnson and predecessor Ken Livingstone opposed further development at Heathrow which has also been rejected by all four parties which now sit on the London Assembly.
2012 The Airports Commission under the leadership of Sir Howard Davies is appointed finally to come to a conclusion on the issue.
In its report, the Airports Commission said that by 2040, domestic services could utilise “136-175 additional daily slot pairs” at an expanded Heathrow compared to 55 now.
However, Labour immediately backed Heathrow expansion and called on Mr Cameron to make a “swift” decision.
After three years and at a cost of more than $30 million, an independent commission said Wednesday that it strongly and unanimously favored building a third runway at Heathrow for clear economic and strategic reasons.
George Osborne, the Chancellor, and Sajid Javid, the Business Secretary, are known to support a third runway. In a preliminary report in December 2013, the commission concluded that another runway at Gatwick and a controversial option to simply extend one of the existing Heathrow runways were “credible options”. The Commissions report makes clear that expansion at Gatwick is deliverable.
According to the report, the 260,000 extra flights a year Heathrow could accommodate would pump extra £147 billion into the United Kingdom economy, creating 77,000 new jobs by 2030 and connecting Britain to 40 new destinations and potential business markets in Asia, Africa and Latin Amercia.
Fellow Tory hopeful Syed Kamall also attacked the proposal, saying, “London’s economic growth depends on a significant increase in airport capacity and that cannot be achieved with sticking plasters at Gatwick or Heathrow”, while Ivan Massow tweeted: ”Heathrow not my 1st pref, but we should now stop squabbling and get on and build. Compensation and environmental conditions v important”.
But the commission emphasized that a new runway should meet more stringent noise and environmental standards and suggested, for example, banning flights from 11:30 p.m.to 6 a.m., which a third runway would make possible. Asked by the BBC if the politicians would respond, he laughed.
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He pointed out that economically and politically, Britain’s worldwide reputation and that of its government were also at stake. “A decision will be made by the end of the year”. “I think ministers will realize a decision is needed”.
