The airport operator BAA has stated that the Government should keep expansion of the UK’s airports to the south-east of the country – and that three new runways need to be built at the region’s airports.
The announcement, which is being treated as an important response to the Government’s White Paper on aviation, says the Government should consider an extra runway at Heathrow, with two new runways at Stansted or one at the Essex airport and one at Gatwick. Mike Clasper, who will become BAA chief executive next month, told BBC Radio 4 the new runways would be vital – particularly because air transport is expected to treble in the next three decades.
He said: “Aviation growth is critical to the national economy. More and more people want to fly. It’s become part of the public transport system. And unless we start planning ahead, then we’ll end up with the gridlock and decline that we’ve got on the railways.” said the first runway should be selected and built as soon as possible.
BAA runs Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Southampton, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen airports.
