A Heathrow mega-hub should be created with two additional runways, according to the airport’s owners.
Heathrow Airport Holdings, formerly BAA, wants the government’s Davies commission into UK airport capacity to consider the case for building a four-runway hub.
The company wants the commission to consider reports by the Free Enterprise Group of Conservative MPs and the right-leaning Policy Exchange think-tank, which both back the case for four runways at Heathrow, the Financial Times reports.
“We have seen the outline proposals from the Free Enterprise Group and Policy Exchange for a four runway airport at or near Heathrow,” the airport operator is quoted as saying.
“We don’t endorse either proposal but we do believe that the Davies commission should consider any option for a single airport capable of handling the UK’s future hub capacity needs.”
Amsterdam, Frankfurt and Paris all have airports with four or more runways, and the Policy Exchange published a report last month saying that the UK needed similar capacity to compete.
It proposed that the runways be located 3km to the west of the existing Heathrow site to reduce noise impact on local residents.
The Free Enterprise Group of Tory MPs said in July that ministers should allow planning permission for two new runways at Heathrow to preserve London’s position as a world business centre.