The following is my comment and thoughts alone… and yes, I’m flying off the handle on this one.
The reason why can be boiled down to two terms.
POLITICAL INDECISION and POLITICAL SURVIVAL
No politician likes to deal with Heathrow and would rather “put off” or “put the subject under review”, rather than grasping the nettle and dealing with it.
Why?
Three reasons
- Conservative Politicians are very reluctant to have a dot more installed at Heathrow because nearly all the Heathrow area is held by Conservative party seats.
- People will lose homes, swinging this votes against to whatever political party is against the project.
- The NIMBY attitude that is prevalent in the United Kingdom when it comes to major infrastructure projects
These three reasons are enough to make most politicians cower away from making a decision, and let them think about their re-election prospects, rather than the long-term growth of the country.
Lets look at the options:
- Heathrow Airport – 3rd Runway. It’s the most recognised hub, but is constrained by its location, as well as ability operate at night due to noise regulations.
- Gatwick Airport – 2nd Runway, which would not be possible until at least 2019. Would a 2nd runway be enough to make an alliance switch from Heathrow to Gatwick? I strongly doubt it.
- Stansted Airport – 2nd runway. Where as Heathrow and Gatwick have good connections, Stansted isn’t well placed. As well as being some distance from London, its constrained by the choice of the M11 or the Stansted Express… which isn’t the greatest train service in the world with a barely enough service as it is.
- Boris Island/Isle of Grain – I’m going to stick my neck out as say this is bonkers (as opposed to Boris Johnson who thinks expanding Heathrow is bonkers). It will require a completely brand new infrastructure to support it, and make the new airport more of a “London and South East” airport as opposed to a National Hub. Additionally, the site part of a bird migration path (increasing the risk of bird strikes). The benefits of such an airport will take decades to build and have active… and the industry needs a shot in the arm now.
- Using regional airports as an overflow – Again, Bonkers. The nearest airports – Southend and Birmingham wouldn’t be able to cope with any traffic overflow, and even if they could – Airlines are choosing not to serve these destinations today.
- Ban Regional Jets/Cargo Jets/Private Jets from Heathrow – Not an option. Part of the point of a hub is to handle all sorts of traffic. Besides, Cargo airlines and Private jets fill in the “quiet times” at Heathrow that some airlines cannot use the slots for.
And here we are.
Those who think I’m off my head, please refer to the madness that is the project known as High Speed 2, which is going through multiple enquiries to see if it’s needed, fit for purpose, it’s route is correct. Also apply the three reasons I stated at the top of this post – and you’ll get exactly the same results.
Another major infrastructure project hamstrung by indecision.
So what to do? This report will not report back until 2015, by which point – a new administration will be in power (be it current)
Once again, indecision is proving to be a killer blow to UK Aviation industry, unless our political leaders grab the issue by the thorns and deal with it here and now.
I maintain that the UK is loosing out without a decision – with others having made their decision already by choosing other Hub airports to fly in and out of – benefiting with the convenience of a home airport . These hubs are called Paris, Amsterdam, Frankfurt-Main and Dubai International Airport.
As to what to do? Solving a problem like this is hard, and if it were me, I’d expand all three London Airports, and be done with it. Deploy the capacity, and stop pain of people not knowing if they are going to be forced to move – and get on with it now.
But of course, this would never happen. There’s not an ounce of political will do to it.
Well, I’m sure I’ve annoyed someone with this post – the comments box is below… you know how to fill it in.
Can’t your government just ignore the people and change things? It worked with capital punishment 50 years ago.
Wow, Dallas has 7 runways and Heathrow just 2 ????
honestly, I expect this to go on like this until airlines decide to stop serving Heathrow (either because no more slots are available or because the slots have become too expensive) and will instead either fly to surrounding major airports (BHX, BRU, CDG, etc) which have a decent connection to London.
What if they offered to close Gatwick if a 3rd runway was built at LHR? That’s no net change in runway capacity, and concentrates hub activity at the preferred airport which is proven to increase the vitality of that airport.
Never figured out why Gatwick was limited to one runway. Seems to me to be the most ludicrous restriction extant…and would have made Stanstead unnecessary were it built. With a direct high speed rail link (instead of the current bus) between LHR and LGW the issue would have been put to bed in the 1980s! Such a rail link would be no more inconvenient than the ones linking terminals at SYD, SEA, IAD, DEN, DFW, IAH or ATL…as much as I hate these shuttles. A free 20-minute transfer would surely have cost less to build and maintain than was spent on the entire airport and rail link north of London. I suppose it’s the posh south’s NIMBYism that has doomed LGW and the most logical solution of London’s airport dilemma!