Opinion

Politicians must back Davies and commit to Heathrow now

Let Britain Fly

As Parliament returns from the summer break, it is time for government to act on the recommendation of Sir Howard Davies and take a decision to back expansion of airport capacity at Heathrow, says Let Britain Fly campaign director Gavin Hayes.

Over two months ago, following three years of extensive debate, consultation and examining the evidence, the Government-established Airports Commission made a clear recommendation to expand Heathrow, Britain’s only international hub airport.

As Ministers and MPs return to Westminster this week from their summer break, after all the time already spent debating the issue, the time has surely come for the Government to give its formal response, back the Airports Commission’s recommendation and commit to an early Parliamentary vote to give the green-light to a new third runway at Heathrow.

"If we fail to expand our long-haul connectivity with these growth markets this will result in lost trade and investment."

The economic case for expansion at Heathrow is compelling. The Airports Commission found that a new third runway has the potential to deliver up to £211bn in economic growth and up to 180,000 new jobs across the UK.

This is hardly surprising when you consider the fact that by value forty per cent of all UK exports go by air and by value twenty six percent of UK exports go via Heathrow alone, more than all the UK’s other airports combined. Whilst we trade up to twenty times more with countries with which we have a direct air link.

In this context it is important to note too that Heathrow is one of only six airports globally with more than fifty long-haul destinations and flies to seventy five destinations not provided by any other UK airport. These facts demonstrate that as a hub airport it is clear that Heathrow is better equipped to provide the additional long-haul connectivity Britain needs to key growth markets such as Brazil and China.

If we fail to expand our long-haul connectivity with these growth markets this will result in lost trade and investment. Recent CBI analysis suggests Britain could lose up to £31bn in trade by 2030 because of failure to increase flights to Brazil, Russia, India and China alone. So the economic stakes are high.

"What we need now more than ever is for UK political leaders to make a decision that is based on what is in the long-term national interest, not short-term political considerations."

Political opponents to expansion at Heathrow will continue to argue that the Airports Commission’s proposals aren’t politically deliverable. Yet the Commission also recommended a number of mitigation measures to address the concerns of local communities and reduce the environmental impacts.

This included amongst others a ban on night flights, establishing an independent aviation noise authority, a £1bn community compensation fund, strict controls to guarantee no increase in current noise levels and last but not least ruling out a fourth runway altogether. So there are practical solutions to diffuse political concerns associated with expansion at Heathrow which must now also be carefully considered.

What we need now more than ever is for UK political leaders to make a decision that is based on what is in the long-term national interest, not short-term political considerations. The time has surely come for the Government to listen to the independent experts it appointed and make a swift decision to build the first new runway at Heathrow since 1945.

Gavin Hayes is director of the Let Britain Fly campaign