Forum Topic

3rd runway for Heathrow.

It looks like we're getting a third new runway at Heathrow. I know there has been bitter controversy and heated contention against another runway, but generally, I'm in favour of this expansion. It would mean more jobs, greater economic benefits, boosted exports, excellent hub for connections for visitors and we in London are one of the largest cities in the world after all - we need modern convenient airport facilities. Those who object chose to live near one of the biggest airports after all - if they feel so strongly, they should move to more bucolic and quieter locations imo.  What do others feel?

Gerry Tan ● 3927d30 Comments

PaulHas Heathrow developed a city around it? certainly on the west side the green belt has stopped this happening,

Declan Devine ● 3921d

It happened at heathrow.What other airport has been around for so long that's not developed a city around it?

Paul James ● 3921d

Just get on and build it as quickly as possible. Same with HS2. Start building it from London, out from Birmingham and down from scotland all at the same time so it gets built as quickly as possible.

Keith Mason ● 3922d

"...and the original airport, Hongqiao Airport on the edge of the city is mainly used for domestic and short haul flights"That's a good idea if applied to Heathrow - Heathrow would make an excellent and convenient domestic and short haul only airport for London!

Gerry Tan ● 3922d

In fact it makes a great case for moving it else where, already the Piccadilly line is at capacity, Cross Rail will help but thats only really replacing the Heathrow Connect etc, an expansion will see traffic increase around the airport which already is a near grid lock at peak times, move the airport away and build a better transport infrastructure to the new airport, exactly what has been done at many new airports around the world.A great example is Shanghai, moved the new airport to outside the city in Pudong where most international flights land now and, and the original airport, Hongqiao Airport on the edge of the city is mainly used for domestic and short haul flights,Time we in this country looked away form the same old same old thinking.

Declan Devine ● 3922d

> 35.1% which is 23.5 Million people used Heathrow as a connecting airport in 2008, the last year the stats have been published to the public, I make that a large percentage !! given 44.5M terminated at HeathrowGood, then we're agreed that 45 million passengers a year need to get to or from the airport by surface transport. That hardly supports your suggestion that it doesn't really matter where the airport is sited.

Dave Robertson ● 3922d

35.1% which is 23.5 Million people used Heathrow as a connecting airport in 2008, the last year the stats have been published to the public, I make that a large percentage !! given 44.5M terminated at HeathrowGatewick was at 13.1% - 4.5M people and the next largest was Stanstead at 9.1% 2.2m

Declan Devine ● 3923d

Heathrow is already a major hub.Where would you site a new one?

Tony Colliver ● 3923d

> as I said before a large percentage of the people using the airport will be transferring to another plane and not even visiting LondonYou might well have said it before, but that doesn't make it true.  Around two-thirds of passengers on flights at Heathrow aren't transferring between planes.

Dave Robertson ● 3923d

PaulI agree to a point but look at the other examples, and this has not happened

Declan Devine ● 3924d

Gerry, all of those things would come wherever the airport is located.Why does it need to be at Heathrow, the one place where more people will be affected by the side effects of having a hub airport so close to a major city.Its like many things in this country we are too afraid to make big decisions for the right reasons. The the right decision is to build a new major airport away from the city, as I said before a large percentage of the people using the airport will be transferring to another plane and not even visiting London

Declan Devine ● 3924d

Declan, by "greater good" I mean economic benefits to industry, commerce, the public, increased exports and trade generally, prosperity, and all the other good things, for more of the population.

Gerry Tan ● 3924d

DeclanIf you build a new airport away from the city, in 50 years time, you'll have an airport with a city around it.

Paul James ● 3924d

But for the greater good of what Gerry?? I keep hearing this said- "Greater Good" but not seen any real proper reason given.All I can see is the greater good of the owners of Heathrow to pay a bigger dividend to their shareholders.

Declan Devine ● 3925d

The 3rd runway for Heathrow is as I've said before, a very contentious and highly controversial issue with the majority of West London residents. But for the greater good of things, it is much needed at Heathrow. I share this view.

Gerry Tan ● 3925d

There's an interesting viewpoint in this FT article...http://m.ft.com/cms/s/0/3fae602e-1fd7-11e5-ab0f-6bb9974f25d0.html

Colin Richards ● 3926d

All your eggs in one basket springs to mind, Heathrow 3, Gatwick, Luton and Stansted 1.

Fred Hunt ● 3926d

I'm a bit surprised by the support here.  I am planning on moving from Grove Park in Chiswick to Ealing in part because of the night flights.  Shame on me if this goes ahead and I wonder how many supporting it today will feel the same when you get woken at 4am damn near every day.  Does anyone supporting the additional runway on this forum want to declare any conflicts of interest (i.e. employed by LHR, BA, etc)...?

Scott Doyle ● 3926d

So, Gerry, I take it you see no problem with hundreds of people having their homes destroyed and being forced to move out.This also happened during  WW2 when the airfield was built under the pretence that it was to be an Air Force base.This was later exposed as a government lie and it was always intended to be the new London Airport and by saying it was for military use a consultation was avoided.Nothing much changes then.

Kevin Hemming ● 3926d

Quite right about a 3rd runway meaning a 4th one in due course. Each new terminal at Heathrow has been agreed with the proviso that there would be no further expansion; a few years pass and the proviso is forgotten. Gatwick makes more sense as a location (south of a city where flight paths are naturally east-west), is less environmentally damaging, though may need some public money to improve the connecting transport infrastructure.The politics of this are interesting. Local Tory MPs (with Zac Goldsmith at the helm) are against. Harriet Harman made it clearly at Prime Minister's Questions yesterday that Labour support the Davies Commission recommendation. What position are West London Labour MPs going to take?

Vlod Barchuk ● 3926d

Making Heathrow into a viable Hub will mean that Gatwick, etc will suffer. Heathrow is foreign owned and will require investment from the Public purse. Gatwick is British owned and will need no Public purse support. The need for a Hub and talk about competition from Dubai is completely bogus. Having flown from London City, Gatwick, Luton and Stanstead shows that London should allow all of these to grow to a degree. If Heathrow got a 3rd runway it would then want a fourth!! only logical conclusion. Pollution around Heathrow already is at environmental limits. expanding dramatically will make a lot worse

Peter Chadburn ● 3927d

I am a supporter of a new hub airport away from the city, whether thats Boris island or not, A new runway at Heathrow would be north of the existing runways meaning the flight path will be north of the existing flight path, so everyone one living on that flight path would now be affected, which if you look at the independent findings would mean 2M plus people would be affected, you won't get that from Heathrow !! as they are very good at trying to cover that up.Lets make this clear I am not opposed to Heathrow as it stands but don't want the expansion, for me no one as come up with a good enough reason to expand Heathrow,As to a MagLev, I been on the one in Shanghai and yes its great, lets build one to a new airport not to Heathrow

Declan Devine ● 3927d

I'm all for it, aircraft are much less noisy these days than in the 60s/70s/80s

Jim McCauley ● 3927d

So, you're a supporter of Boris Island then I take it?I can't see *ANY* realistic prospect of siting a new international airport anywhere else within striking distance of the capital - can you?If this happens is it not the case that it is proposed to close Heathrow as a result?2M+ extra people affected by the new flight path?  I'd want to see a bit of evidence for that assertion.

Tony Colliver ● 3927d

It is only a recommendation - not a decision.The final decision remains with parliament.So still a way to go before we will truly know for sure yet.

Tony Colliver ● 3927d

What Heathrow really needs is a MagLev link into Kings Cross.(Ditto for Gatwick come to that.)['Ditto' was the word of the day on the EalingToday web site on 1/7/2015.  :-) ]

Tony Colliver ● 3927d

Ditto and ditto.It never ceases to amaze me the way some people will whinge on about living in London.If you don't like it then move out!Nobody is forcing you to stay and London, with all it's joys and frustrations, was here before you, so you can hardly act surprised and hard done by now!I also wonder whether Gatwick is not the more rational choice?

Tony Colliver ● 3927d

Sorry but do not agree, expanding Heathrow is a crazy idea, the increased noise, pollution, congestion, cannot be ignored.No other country in the world would consider expanding an airport with the flight paths right across the city.We need to do what Shanghai, HK, Tokyo have all done and build a new airport away from the city but improve the transport links to it.Wherever its built will bring the benefits of new jobs etcI am not saying close Heathrow, but consider what the expansion would actually bring us, the fact its a hub airport means half the people don't even visit London just pass through it, given this it does not matter where the airport is located. All Heathrow want is more profit for a private companyAs to the comment that those who live near the airport should be more bucolic and move to a quieter location, I agree to a point, we live near an airport, and have to except what we have, but what about the 2 million+ people who now will be directly under a flight path that never existed before,

Declan Devine ● 3927d

By all means, expand Gatwick, Luton and others but Heathrow is the most important and biggest and nearest international airport to London.

Gerry Tan ● 3927d

I agree, though also see merits in expanding Gatwick

Simon Bell ● 3927d