AIRPORT CAPACITY

The Department for Transport (DfT) Aviation White Paper was published in December 2003 setting out the Government’s plans for the future of aviation. The Government was generally in favour of capacity expansion across the UK and proposed new runways at Stansted, Birmingham and possibly Edinburgh. A third short runway was also supported at Heathrow provided environmental issues could be resolved. Failing this a second runway would be considered at Gatwick (but not before 2019).

The DfT consulted further in 2008 into adding capacity at Heathrow airport and making greater use of existing runways in the interim by moving to mixed mode. The Government announced in January 2009 that a third runway and additional terminal facilities had been given the go-ahead (work expected to commence in 2015 with opening in 2019), once strict air quality and noise conditions were shown to be met; there would be a high speed rail link to the north (via a Heathrow interchange); but mixed mode had been rejected.

In a separate exercise, the Competition Commission has been reviewing the supply of airport services by BAA in the UK and has recommended that BAA be forced to sell off two airports in the south east and one of the Scottish airports. BAA has put Gatwick up for sale.

ABTA’s Position

ABTA is part of the Flying Matters coalition and supports both the Heathrow First and Gatwick Forward lobbies. ABTA’s preference is for new runways at Heathrow and Gatwick where the demand lies. ABTA supported the safeguarding of land against building at Gatwick for a second runway. It feels that if the three BAA London airports were not in common ownership, more pressure might be brought to bear on extended capacity at Gatwick.

ABTA responded to the DfT in February 2008 supporting both a third runway and phased introduction of mixed mode at Heathrow, subject to there being no increase in the size of the area significantly affected by aircraft noise, to air quality limits being met, and to there being improved public transport access. ABTA also supported a high speed rail link in addition to and not as a substitute for a third runway. ABTA has welcomed the Government's January 2009 announcement about the new runway and terminal facilities, but expressed disappointment that mixed mode will not be introduced to relieve the pressure on the existing runways in the short term.

Last updated: 16 January 2009