DAVID LEARMOUNT / LONDON
UK airports group BAA says at least three more runways need to be built at London's major airports, as it warns that existing runway capacity will have been exhausted by 2013. It adds that, even if the government acts fast to approve a new runway, it will not be operational until 2012.
Filing its comments on the published UK government aviation policy options for the next 30 years, BAA's chief executive designate Mike Clasper warns the government: "Either plan development in a responsible way or face the inevitable gridlock." BAA's four favoured options are one runway at Heathrow, one at Gatwick and two at Stansted. The government's final consultation phase ends on 30 July and the industry expects a decision by November.
The four BAA runway proposals had already been named as options in the government consultation document The Future Development of Air Transport in the UK South East. But Clasper, at the press conference launching BAA's case, would not name the company's favoured order of priorities. It was clear, however, that BAA's corporate choice would be an additional runway at London Heathrow. Clasper says: "Heathrow has the highest economic advantages" and generates the most additional movements, while admitting that the enlarged noise footprint would affect more people - a total of 30,000 - than at the alternatives.
BAA's Heathrow submission calls for a 2,000m (6,560ft) short/medium-haul runway parallel with the two existing ones but 1km (0.6 miles) to the north, as in the government study. But the company suggests it should have its own terminal to keep crossing traffic on the two existing runways to a minimum. This "Terminal 6" was not presaged by the government or in any plans previously floated by BAA.
At Gatwick, BAA favours a close-parallel runway to the south of the existing one, or a wide-spaced runway to the south which would allow more movements. A government option delineating a wide-spaced parallel runway to the north would require massive earth-moving operations, BAA warns.
Stansted, which has the most empty space around it, should be considered a candidate for up to two additional parallel runways, says BAA, depending on what is to be done at Heathrow and Gatwick.
Source: Flight International
