Heathrow emerges as favourite for extra runway

The new runway will be at either Heathrow (which currently has two runways) or Gatwick (which currently has one runway). Heathrow is a clear favourite as it already has hub status, although advantages of the Gatwick proposal are that it is less controversial and less expensive.

A final recommendation to Government will not be made until the summer of 2015. 

The decision looks to have sidelined Mayor of London Boris Johnson’s plan for a new four runway hub airport on the Isle of Grain, although this option has not been ruled out completely and will be subject to further study.

Johnson previously accused the Government of setting up the commission to give it “cover” to reverse its opposition to new runways at Heathrow.

Johnson said: “It is clear that Gatwick is not being considered as a hub airport, meaning a second runway there would only provide temporary relief to Heathrow. And that means he has effectively told the Government it has two choices – proceed with the creation of a monstrous Heathrow on a constrained site that won’t solve our capacity crisis or proceed with the construction of a new hub in the inner estuary that can be built for the same cost as a four runway Heathrow, and would bring new jobs, homes, and long term competitiveness.”

He has built his argument around the need for the UK to enhance its international competitiveness with a large hub airport that can compete with airports such as Schiphol in the Netherlands, which has five main runways.

The plan has fallen foul of critics citing high cost estimates and long time to completion compared with other options.

The Isle of Grain airport would be close to the DP World London Gateway Port and lay the foundation for a logistics heartland of the UK, says the Mayor’s Office.

The Freight Transport Association (FTA) welcomed the confirmation of a need for greater runway capacity and said the air cargo hub status of Heathrow should be enhanced.

Chris Welsh, FTA’s general manager of Global and European Policy said: “This additional runway capacity is urgently needed to enhance the global air cargo hub status of Heathrow. Maintaining a global hub located in the UK is vital to the economy and our international competitiveness is likely to be impaired unless current airport capacity is expanded to cater for growth in international trade.”

The CBI also welcomed the report and urged the Government to act as quickly as possible to promote trade growth.

CBI director general, John Cridland said: “It is no longer acceptable to bury our heads in the sand on this. There is overwhelming evidence that direct flights open doors to new trade, but with capacity in the south-east set to run out as early as 2025, we need to see urgent action as soon as the Commission’s final recommendation is delivered to government in summer 2015.”