Heathrow ‘could thwart growth elsewhere’

AIRPORT expansion in the North West will have to be abandoned if a new runway is built at Heathrow.

That’s according to a report by the Campaign for Better Transport (CBT) which found the emissions from an enlarged Heathrow would be so great that expansion at other airports could threaten the government’s own climate change target.

The CBT’s study found that a three-runway Heathrow would use two thirds of British aviation’s carbon ration by 2050.

Another 22 airports, including Liverpool John Lennon and Manchester, would have to abandon plans for extensions.

The CBT found that even if Heathrow stopped growing in 2030 all other airports in Britain would have to cut their combined emissions by a third by 2050 to comply with the government’s target.

Peel Holdings, owner of Liverpool John Lennon Airport, is keen to expand the number of flights from Liverpool. It previously welcomed the prospect of a third runway at Heathrow saying it would increase the number of available flights to the capital, opening up the region.

But Peel questioned CBT’s findings, saying the Airport Operators Association found the study had compared two sets of carbon forecasts generated using different assumptions.

In a statement Neil Pakey, deputy chief executive of Peel Airports said: “There appear to be questions over the validity of comments made in this particular study, however there is a real need for the third runway at Heathrow for regional airports such as Liverpool, if new slots are ringfenced for UK regional services.

“The justification for this additional runway is based on increased opportnities for regions to be linked by air over Heathrow. Any expansion of capacity at Heathrow goes hand in hand with increasing capacity in the regions if we are to ensure that the necessary regional links are developed.” 

Manchester Airport’s spokesman could not be reached for comment.