CAPA ANALYST PERSPECTIVE – the continuation of a series where CAPA – Centre for Aviation’s analyst team provide their personal views on a hot topic facing aviation around the world.
In a flurry of activity around airport expansion – once anathema to the current Labour government in the UK – a scheme for the expansion of London Stansted Airport and one for the addition of a third runway at London Heathrow have been rapidly approved by that government, coming on top of a probable authorisation soon for the expansion of London Luton Airport.
And now the Transport Secretary declares herself to be ‘minded’ to approve a second runway at London Gatwick Airport, which would increase capacity there to 75mppa.
There are still large pockets of resistance to most of these proposals, and protesters can be expected to come back out of the woodwork soon, in big numbers.
But there is another aspect to this that begs attention; namely that despite the theoretical support given by most of the UK’s main political parties to improving transport in the English regions and Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland – little has been forthcoming in reality.
Although some airports, notably Manchester, don’t seem to need more government support, there are others that would not only benefit from it, but could help reduce the burden on London.
To ignore them might prove to be a costly political mistake.