Birmingham Airport chooses sides in airport expansion debate

BIRMINGHAM AIRPORT’S chief executive Paul Kehoe has backed Gatwick Airport’s claim to be the best choice for UK airport expansion.

A long-running debate about how to increase UK airport capacity has narrowed down the options to Heathrow and Gatwick. A Government decision is expected soon,

Mr Kehoe described the Government’s decision, which is expected soon, as being “of national significance” which will affect passengers and businesses across the country.

He said: “Of the two options before the Government, we support Gatwick’s expansion plan because it will foster greater competition among airports and allow other UK long-haul airports to continue to compete and grow their own direct services.

“Heathrow’s plan could constrain this growth with the direct international connections that airports like Birmingham have fought for being lost to west London.

“A decision for Heathrow would simply mean a return to the monopoly of the past, reducing choice, increasing fares and threatening the business of Birmingham and other UK airports.”

Birmingham Airport has enjoyed fourteen months of record growth and announced twelve new airlines in the past year.

Gatwick Airport chief executive Stewart Wingate, who visited Birmingham yesterday to press his case, added: “Expansion at Gatwick will deliver exactly the same number of passengers to the same number of worldwide destinations as expanding Heathrow. The only difference is that, with Gatwick expansion, those connections are better spread across the UK’s major airports, including Birmingham.  

“Gatwick expansion is also the most deliverable option – it is a cheaper, faster and simpler scheme that will maximise the UK’s connectivity sooner, at lower cost for users.”