UK: Former RAF base already has the longest runway in Europe
Plans for a new airport that could one day become a “second Manchester” have been unveiled by the Government.
The deputy prime minister John Prescott has approved the development of the former Finningley RAF base, near Doncaster. The base has Europe’s largest runway; work on updating the facility’s terminals will begin soon.
The Guardian, reporting on the development, states that the project will be an important regeneration opportunity for South Yorkshire, and that more than 7,000 jobs will be created. Peel Holdings, which owns Liverpool’s John Lennon airport, says the project will cost £80 million and will be running within 18 months. The newspaper reports that Ryanair is “looking forward to bringing low-cost fares to the area”.
However, the decision is said to have annoyed environmental campaigners; Friends of the Earth said: “This decision makes a mockery of the Government’s airport consultation; we are only half way through the process and they are already approving new airports.”
