London Mayor Boris Johnson hit back after his suggestion of a new four-runway airport in the Thames estuary to replace Heathrow was rejected by the Airports Commission.
Johnson said: “In one myopic stroke the Airports Commission has set the debate back by half a century and consigned their work to the long list of vertically filed reports on aviation expansion that are gathering dust on a shelf in Whitehall.
“Gatwick is not a long term solution and Howard Davies must explain to the people of London how he can possibly envisage that an expansion of Heathrow, which would create unbelievable levels of noise, blight and pollution, is a better idea than a new airport to the east of London that he himself admits is visionary, and which would create the jobs and growth this country needs to remain competitive.”
Daniel Moylan, Johnson’s chief aviation adviser, suggested that the Mayor would not surrender over the ‘Boris Island’ airport plan.
It is expected that Johnson will rekindle the battle next year if he gains a seat in Parliament. Johnson is seeking to become the Conservative candidate for Uxbridge and South Ruislip at the next general election.
Moylan told the Telegraph: “Airports policy has been stalled for nearly five decades, ricocheting like a billiard ball between Heathrow and Gatwick.
“We have one opportunity to break out of that but it seems the commission has taken us back to the same old failed choice.
“The final decision will lie with the government and the key question now is whether the Airports Commission will play much of a role in that.”
Rejection of the estuary option leaves rivals Heathrow and Gatwick to persuade the commission led by Sir Howard Davies that they offer the best location for a new runway.
The three alternatives are adding a third runway at Heathrow, lengthening an existing runway at Heathrow, and a second runway at Gatwick.
Johnson heavily criticised the commission, which will report its final recommendations after the general election.
Meanwhile, the Guild of Travel Management Companies, backed yesterday’s call by the CBI for better air connectivity to emerging markets
Chief executive Paul Wait said: “In addition to the CBI’s calls for routes from the UK to emerging markets to be improved, we also urge consideration during the airport capacity decision making process of the access between the UK and established markets such as Europe and the US.
“Our research amongst business travellers shows that even major cities in these regions are often not directly served from the UK, and therefore business travellers are choosing to fly via a hub airport in continental Europe, rather than in the UK.
“This not only means economic losses, but also that international businesses are more likely to choose cities around the world other than in the UK for future investment due to the better connectivity on offer.
“Our research highlights that more than 30% of business travellers would switch to Heathrow from a foreign hub should the airport increase direct services to more international destinations.
“Both the CBI’s and the GTMC’s findings are a powerful message for decision makers.”
He added: “Swift action is needed to ensure that Heathrow is able to meet the air travel requirements of business travellers or the nation risks its potential investment going elsewhere. We hope these findings are considered within the Davies Commission report this week”.
Back Heathrow campaign co-ordinator Rob Gray said: “This decision is a major victory for the thousands of local residents in west London who had begun to fear the worst.
“However, despite the emphatic rejection of Boris Johnson’s plans, the UK still has a problem because Heathrow is bursting at the seams.
“The UK’s only hub airport might have dodged a bullet from the Mayor of London but a slow death awaits if it is not allowed to expand.
“The Airports Commission has said ‘No’ to Boris Johnson but for the sake of local jobs and UK prosperity, it now needs to say ‘Yes’ to growth at Heathrow.”