Airport expansion in the London area is firmly back on the political agenda, having been kicked into the long grass by the present coalition government when it took power.
Meanwhile, saturated London Heathrow's desirability as a major hub on the world's great trunk routes is under threat, and there are signs of panic in government ranks as the significance of this for the UK economy dawns.
Politically, all options are now back on the cards, including a Thames Estuary location for a massive Heathrow-replacement airport. But the option of a Third Runway at Heathrow is still there, looming dangerously because it is the quickest, cheapest workable solution to London's increasingly dire runway capacity shortage.
And the longer the government dithers, the more attractive the third runway option will become, until it becomes completely inevitable.
The nightmare scenario is that the Third Runway is given the go-ahead, but as a temporary solution while a massive Estuary Hub - and all the transport links to it - is created.
on March 27, 2012 5:01 PM | Reply
I believe that LHR should have a third runway but extend the airport to the South, NOT to the North.
This would save the loss of the picturesque villages and I believe fewer homes would be affected.
on March 27, 2012 5:44 PM | Reply
What's all this talk about London Heathrow's THIRD runway ?
LHR already has THREE runways :-
09/27 L & R
and 05/23
on March 27, 2012 5:47 PM | Reply
Is MANSTON not a viable option?
on March 27, 2012 8:48 PM | Reply
There is lots of unused airport capacity in the South East.
What is in short supply are slots at Heathrow to satisfy the self-interest of BA and BAA.
The market is not working to value slots appropriately and use them in the national interest - if that is to fly to developing nations which are not currently being served. BA is sitting on a huge pile of slots and wasting them by flying small planes at high frequency to the same destinations. A proper reform of the existing slot system and steadily auctioning off the accumulated grandfathers rights could do much to liberate and improve air transport.
on March 27, 2012 9:40 PM | Reply
05/23 is not really there any longer - bits of it seem to have been built on as part of the terminal development.
?Last used in anger in ?2002
on March 28, 2012 5:03 PM | Reply
progress is always top priority.
3rd runway should have happened years back.
The land is available as there is a lot of barren land.
Get on with it.
Heathrow will take care of the environment issues and carbon footprint. You can put riders to penalize them if that is what you want.