Evening Standard: Let the many decide airports, not the few
(By Andrew Neather). Another day, another solution to London’s supposed airports crisis. This time Lord Sugar is talking up more flights at Stansted. Last month the Mayor called for a 2nd runway there. Whichever the solution — expansion at Heathrow, Stansted, Gatwick or a new airport — the industry’s lobbyists are in overdrive. Apparently we’re about to become a backwater sleepier than Budleigh Salterton unless we build a 3rd Heathrow runway immediately. Perhaps a bigger Stansted’s the answer. The industry’s projections are based on essentially unlimited oil supplies and ignoring other realities. We need to hope Justine Greening’s decision on airport expansion reflects the wishes of London’s voters — not those of a small and well-funded industry lobby.
by Andrew Neather
06 July 2012 (Evening Standard)
Another day, another solution to London’s supposed airports crisis. This time Lord Sugar is talking up more flights at Stansted. Last month the Mayor called for a second runway there.
Whichever the solution — expansion at Heathrow, Stansted, Gatwick or a new airport — the industry’s lobbyists are in overdrive. Apparently we’re about to become a backwater sleepier than Budleigh Salterton unless we build a third Heathrow runway immediately.
Perhaps a bigger Stansted’s the answer. But the industry’s projections are based on essentially unlimited oil supplies: rising oil prices could put a big dent in those passenger numbers. Meanwhile a report last year found that Heathrow had more flights to major business destinations than its two nearest rivals, Paris Charles de Gaulle and Frankfurt, combined. It has far more flights to Asia than either.
Last week Stewart Wingate, Gatwick CEO, dismissed the claims that London was falling behind rivals. For, in fact, expansion at Heathrow or Stansted is designed primarily to benefit the business models of BAA and of BA, the latter shifting vast numbers of transfer passengers through its Heathrow hub.
There’s an authoritarian subtext to a lot of the complaints from industry figures, such as BA chief Willie Walsh at this paper’s airports debate last week. They rail about politicians needing to show “leadership” and accuse them of “dithering”. I suspect what they really mean is politicians failing to do exactly what the industry wants.
And they talk wistfully about the ability of China to construct vast airports with no more ado than summoning a stewardess for a refill. But there’s a good reason we can’t: it’s called democracy.
For as Putney MP Justine Greening wrote in this paper in March 2008 of Heathrow: “Rarely has an issue galvanised my constituents so much.” Industry apologists like to portray their opponents as anti-business tree-huggers. In fact, it’s mostly Tory-voting rural and suburban dwellers at the barricades.
Thus west London Tory MPs have been among the most vocal opponents of Heathrow expansion, as has Boris Johnson. Popular fury is why the Government cancelled Labour’s go-ahead for a third runway. It’s also why Stansted’s MP Tim Yeo opposed expansion of that airport (though he now supports a bigger Heathrow).
Now the Government is said to be wavering. As Greening wrote, “If … ministers push ahead, they should not be surprised if residents ask just who this Government is there to serve — because it doesn’t seem to be Londoners.”
Greening is now Transport Secretary. I hope her decision on airport expansion reflects the wishes of London’s voters — not those of a small and well-funded industry lobby.
http://www.standard.co.uk/comment/let-the-many-decide-airports-not-the-few-7919923.html
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