The fate of UK Airport Expansion….squandered once again by politics

Where I turn up to work, sometimes the word “decision” is a very dirty word. No one wants to make one in case it offends someone along the way.

The same can sadly be said of the fate of Airport Expansion in the UK, and more specifically, the expansion of the South East of England.

The options on the table sound simple:

• Expand Heathrow and pop that extra runway in
• Expand Gatwick
• Expand Stansted
• Build a new airport on the Thames Estuary

All political dynamite and unpalatable. It seems the two sides of the UK Collation government (The Conservative Party and Liberal Democrats) cannot agree on a way forward over a even more delayed consultation on how to progress.

It is now likely to be dealt with until later in the year after the summer recess in Parliament, making this consultation delayed twice (First may, then Summer) – so pretty much a usual ground delay at any London airport.

When the collation came to power, plans for a 3rd runway were at Heathrow were scrapped, with an agreement not to build any new airports during the term of power (allegedly 5 years, but who knows given the state of the collation). However, circumstances are changing with expansion becoming a need rather than a nicety.

There are fractions of course that wish to pull the expansion forward, delay it until the next General Election or no have it built at all. And that’s just in the Conservative Party (noting that some parliamentary seats where airports are or where the expansion area will be are Conservative held seats) – and the small matter of the Conservative election manifesto pledge to scrap plans for Heathrow expasion.

With the consultation in trapped in quagmire, there are a few announcements today that are of interest

However,the Transport Secretary Justine Greening announced the following today:

• £500m towards a western rail link to Heathrow, to speed up journeys to and from Wales and south-west England
• Proposals to “further liberalise” UK aviation, including extending the ability of Gatwick and Stansted to handle passengers in transit to other destinations
• Increasing competition between airlines and train companies
• Plans to make sure airlines are awarded flight slots in most “economically beneficial” way to UK
• Limiting access of smaller planes to busiest airports to encourage more efficient transport of large passenger numbers
• Maximising existing airport capacity
• Reducing aircraft noise

So once again, the government of the day is dancing around the edges and shuffling the deck chairs whilst ignoring the issue of the day.

There is considerable friction to expanding airports due to quality of life and green issues – however plonking a brand new airport in the Thames Estuary will create even more of those issues as there is currently no infrastructure to serve that – meaning major construction works, facilities works and communication links of road and rail would have to be built from ground up.

Expanding Heathrow is an option lot would like to see, but would affect quality of life, noise and all the forboils of an airport being upgraded.

However, with the consultation kicked along a few months along the line, once again, the government of the day is failing to deal with the problem that exists here and now, along with the lack of will to make a “decision” without offending anyone.

And knowing this government, it’s entirely likely in the autumn this will be kicked along again. And again.

Depressing really when they actually need to get something done.