THE UK GOVERNMENT'S long-awaited response to the report by the "Runway capacity to serve the south-east" working-group rules out the possibility of a third Heathrow runway, but allows for a close, parallel, runway at Gatwick.
Transport secretary Brian Mawhinney is asking the Civil Aviation Authority to study further the capacity gains which can be achieved by operational means at Heathrow. He also wants airports owner BAA to study the Gatwick parallel-runway option.
A CAA/BAA/International Air Transport Association study has also been released, confirming that a variety of short-term measures could boost Heathrow capacity from 78 movements an hour up to 82. It also finds that a switch to mixed-mode runway use from segregated-mode use could take the figure to 92.
Source: Flight International
