Prime Minister David Cameron is to set up an independent review of Britain’s airports, according to The Independent newspaper, which could lead to the Coalition government ditching its opposition to a third runway for Heathrow.
It reported that a panel of outside experts will decide whether additional capacity should be created at Heathrow or at other London airports, or whether a new airport should be built in the Thames Estuary or elsewhere in the southeast.
Meanwhile, it has emerged that a proposal for a completely new four-runway airport to the west or north of London could be put forward.
A report in the Mail on Sunday claimed a ‘mystery consortium’ had already been commissioned by an unnamed group of British businesses to scout for potential sites for an airport to rival or replace Heathrow.
The report went on to say that the consortium had opened talks with Chinese sovereign wealth funds over financing the projected, which is expected to cost between £40bn and £60bn.
