Mixed reaction to airport expansion plans

Airlines and industry bodies have welcomed the Government’s plans to improve the UK’s airport infrastructure, but environmentalists are warning of a catastrophe.

The government’s proposals include the expansion of Heathrow, and either massive development at Stansted or a whole new aiport at Cliffe in North Kent. Other proposals include a new terminal at Manchester and further runways in Scotland and the Midlands.

British Airways chief executive Rod Eddington backed the plans, but stressed that it was important that Heathrow was not sidelined. He said: “The UK needs a thriving major international airport that supports a network of inter-continental, European and domestic flights. This can be achieved more readily, and cost effectively, by providing an extra runway at Heathrow thereby enhancing all that has been achieved so far.”

He added: “There are those who will oppose Heathrow development on environmental grounds and it is essential that their views are heard as part of this consultation process. But we must not lose sight of the severe economic consequences for Britain if we fail to develop Heathrow.”

bmi warned that if there was a repeat performance of the lengthy Terminal 5 approval process, European airports such as Paris, Amsterdam and Frankfurt will overtake Heathrow as the European leader.

bmi chairman Sir Michael Bishop said: “A no-growth solution is simply sticking our heads in the sand. Delays would increase, as would the cost to airlines, ultimately forcing us to increase prices for the consumer and making air travel less accessible to the wider public. “

But Climate Care’s Tom Morton was dismayed by the plans. He told TravelMole: “Any increase in air transport capacity has to be matched with a plan to reduce emissions by 60%, which is the target set by the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution to avoid an environmental catastrophe.”

“If these plans don’t incorporate that, then the respective ministries of environment and transport cannot be joined up.”

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Climate Care is a scheme that lets individuals and companies pay to ‘offset’ the emissions created by their use of products such as petrol and diesel, electricity and gas, and air travel. Companies and individuals who want to stop adding to global warming can use Climate Care to offset the emissions from some or all of their operations. For more information contact Tom Morton. Please mention you read this information on TravelMole.