Heathrow: The whirlpool of uncertainty is playing to the aviation industry’s advantage

John Stewart, Chair of AirportWatch and of HACAN, writes about the flurry of publicity over the past few days, with speculative stories about the prospects of a third Heathrow runway. John says this whirlpool of uncertainty is playing to the aviation industry’s advantage. This campaign is aiming to change opinion in government, and is one lacking supporting facts and figures, and is based on innuendo, off-the-record briefings, private lunches and advertising slogans. The campaign is typified by the BAA adverts plastered across the London underground. MPs have said they cannot remember such a sustained campaign from any industry.

 


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John Stewart is the chair of AirportWatch

26.3.2012 ( Left Foot Forward)

The government’s sudden decision last week to postpone consultation on its draft aviation strategy has opened a hole which has been filled by lobbyists spreading rumour and counter rumour.

Heathrow

On Sunday both the Observer and the Independent on Sunday ran, somewhat thinly-sourced, front page stories implying a third runway at Heathrow is back on the government’s agenda.

This whirlpool of uncertainty is playing to the aviation industry’s advantage.

It is allowing it to create a climate of opinion that extra airport capacity is essential for a competitive economy; that a third runway at Heathrow has growing support amongst government ministers who regret their decision to scrap it in 2010.

With no policy document to respond to, the industry doesn’t feel obliged to come up with hard facts and figures. The campaign is one of innuendo, off-the-record briefings, private lunches and advertising slogans.

It is typified by the BAA adverts plastered across the London underground. MPs have told me they cannot remember such a sustained campaign from any industry.

It is ironic the transport secretary at this time is Justine Greening who, during the campaign against the third runway, referred to BAA as operating in a fact-free zone. Of course, the industry is aiming beyond Greening.

George Osborne is a prime target. This week’s New Statesman carried an article on how he is impressed by the pleas of business people in much the same way as Margaret Thatcher was dazzled by the military top brass.

And Osborne has shifted the Government position.

http://www.leftfootforward.org/2012/03/heathrow-airport-third-runway-aviation-industry/