The Airports Commission announced this week that it will not add the Thames Estuary option to its shortlist of proposals for providing one net additional runway in London and the South East by 2030.  The shortlisted three options remain: an additional runway at Gatwick to the south, an additional runway at Heathrow to the north-west or an extended Heathrow northern runway. A Summary and Decision Paper describing in detail the basis for the Commission’s decision is available on its website.

Aviation already makes a critical contribution to the UK’s economy and additional capacity will be essential to meet demand and safeguard UK growth and competitiveness. We will therefore continue to lobby for urgent political commitment to this over coming months and after the General Election next Spring.  We also look forward to making a full response to the Commission’s consultation on its shortlist this autumn, where we will also look to champion the importance of surface access and additional surface connectivity as a means to improving the passenger experience for both business and leisure travel.