New runways at Heathrow and Gatwick amongst proposals to be considered by Government

AN INFLUENTIAL committee which was set up to suggest solutions to the South East’s airport capacity issues has short-listed new runways at Heathrow and Gatwick.

The third short-listed option is to extend an existing runway at Heathrow. 

The Airports Commission, led by businessman Sir Howard Davies, has also not ruled out a new airport in the Thames Estuary – subbed Boris Island by the media because of London Mayor Boris Johnson’s keen promotion of this plan.

However, the commission says it will need to do further analysis before deciding if this will make its final shortlist.

A final report is due by the summer of 2015.

Sir Howard was asked in 2012 to investigate the options for expanding the UK’s aviation capacity and try to come up with a plan.

Heathrow is one of the world’s busiest hub airports, handling 70m passengers in 2012. A third of those travellers were transit passengers transferring to other flights.

However, the Government has ruled out a runway extension there during the lifetime of this Parliament, which runs until 2015.

Birmingham Airport bosses have long suggested that a solution to over-capacity in the South East is to look towards regional airports which, as is the case with Birmingham, are often under-utilised and are easily accessible via motorway and rail networks.