Topic: | Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Alternative LHR solution | |
Posted by: | Tim Henderson | |
Date/Time: | 23/01/12 11:02:00 |
I still think there is adequate runway capacity at the 5/6/7 airports around London without needing to develop Manston/ Heyford/ Boris Island / whatever. What we do not have is a single airport large enough (or closely integrated with other airports) to satisfy the ambitions of BAA / BA for a UK hub that will cope with the frequency and range of destinations (UK and international) to provide the transfer traffic to continue profitable growth. It isn't clear to me that the UK needs or can afford one larger than it has got. The decision to move was missed in the 1970's and the expansion into T4 and then T5 (based on the number of flights we now have, but with much larger planes) has resulted in BAA/BA pressure to stay at Heathrow , but with unsustainable expansion. Meanwhile, much of the rest of the UK is quite happy to use Amsterdam, Paris , Frankfurt or Dubai as their hub. A third runway / Northolt integration / Boris Island may provide the hub - but at unsustainable environmental or financial costs. And as oil prices / carbon costs shoot upwards, will not the passenger demand implode ? I'd argue not to waste the infrastructure money on these potential "stranded assets" and make the most of what we have. If that means that Londoners have to change at Dubai to get to Guangzhou, so be it. |