AirportWatch letter in the FT: Focus on filling existing Heathrow terminals

Focus on filling existing Heathrow terminals

From Ms Sarah Clayton.

30.5.2012

Sir,

Theresa Villiers is right to inject some much-needed realism into the debate surrounding Heathrow and airport capacity (“Make the case for a third runway, minister tells BAA”, May 21). Contrary to the impression often given by the aviation industry, Heathrow is not full. While its runways are close to capacity, it has the terminal capacity to accommodate another 20m passengers each year. BAA, the airport’s owner, is failing to exploit the opportunities this presents.

BAA’s focus should instead be on working with government to develop market mechanisms that encourage the airlines to take advantage of this spare terminal capacity in order to bring more intercontinental business passengers to London through the use of larger aircraft. This will not happen as long as BAA remains so focused on a third runway.

In its campaign for a third runway it is also in BAA’s interest to play down the excellent connections London already has with the key business centres of the world.

The 2011 survey by the global property consultants Cushman & Wakefield confirmed that “London is still ranked – by some distance from its closest [European] competitors – as the leading city in which to do business”. The survey found it owed its position to its excellent links to the rest of the world. The government is right to ask in its forthcoming public consultation on its draft aviation strategy for hard evidence as to whether more capacity might be needed in the future for London to maintain its premier position.

A sensible conclusion will only be reached if we start by acknowledging the current reality.

Sarah Clayton, Co-ordinator, AirportWatch, London EC4, UK

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/76873ace-a66f-11e1-9453-00144feabdc0.html