Image via Shutterstock
Heathrow’s bid for a third runway has won the support of five regional airports.
The bosses of Aberdeen, Glasgow, Leeds Bradford, Liverpool and Newcastle airports say that expansion at the West London hub would be the “right choice” for the whole of the country.
They have sent a joint letter to Sir Howard Davies, chairman of the Airports Commission, which will recommend next summer whether to expand Heathrow or its rival Gatwick.
Choice for passengers who live outside of London is limited as Heathrow is already full, the airport chiefs argue.
A lack of available take-off and landing slots at the airport is restricting the number of domestic routes available and is making it harder for people who live outside of the capital to reach long-haul markets.
“The so-called London airports debate is not about London at all,” the airport chiefs write in the letter, published today in the Telegraph. “It is about the aviation industry as a whole.
“Heathrow’s role is as the UK’s hub, one of only six worldwide with more than 50 long-haul routes, and expansion there would create over 200,000 more slots.
“For expansion to benefit the whole country there must be a mechanism in place to strengthen and secure domestic connections to the UK’s hub. We will be backing Heathrow expansion in the Airports Commission consultation as the right choice for the whole of the UK.”
The letter is signed by Carol Benzie, managing director of Aberdeen airport; Amanda McMillan, managing director of Glasgow airport; John Parkin, chief executive of Leeds Bradford airport; Andrew Cornish, chief executive of Liverpool John Lennon airport; and David Laws, chief executive of Newcastle airport.
A national consultation on the Airports Commission options, which allows members of the public to have their say, is open until February 3.