Gatwick CEO, Stewart Wingate, says yet again called into question the projected economic benefit of any Heathrow expansion.
In a letter to the London Evening Standard, Mr Wingate points out that the Airports Commission concluded that several UK cities would lose out if Heathrow expands because the airport’s domestic destinations will fall by half to just four.
But the Heathrow CEO, John Holland Kaye, claimed in an article in the Evening Standard on 09 October, that was incorrect.
Mr Holland Kaye claimed:
“We have already started talks with airlines which could more than double the number of domestic routes into an expanded Heathrow.”
Mr Wingate continues:
“Mr Holland-Kaye and Heathrow seem to have selective hearing when it comes to this debate. Those who don’t, however, include the hundreds of thousands of Londoners who already suffer the impact of noise and illegal air quality. These are the inarguable truths — its expansion plan will be unlawful and render creative and theoretical discussions about economic benefit redundant.
“There is no need for the Government to do a U-turn on a third runway at Heathrow — Gatwick is the best and only buildable option.”
New Gatwick advert highlights Heathrow illegal air
Gatwick has also ran a new advert, titled Air Con, that highlights the fact that Heathrow already breaches EU law with regard to air quality.
The full text reads:
Air quality around Heathrow currently breaches EU law. And yet the Airports Commission report suggests that, after a third runway is built, it will be with legal limits. So millions more care journeys to the airport are going to mean less pollution. Really?
Air quality at Gatwick has never breached EU limits and we still won’t even with a second runway. So best to get on with it, choose the option that can actually be built and make sure Britain gets the benefit. Obviously.
N.B. Image credit: gatwickobviously.com
