The debate continues as to whether London’s Heathrow Airport or Gatwick Airport should be the recipient of a new runway, which has been deemed critical to British trade and manufacturing. A report by the U.K.’s Airport Commission recommended Heathrow earlier this year, but Gatwick issued a rebuttal last week, which states that the commission’s findings are “flawed.”
Economic benefits that can be achieved at both airports are basically the same, but Gatwick contends that Heathrow will require other surface improvements that will cost about ₤6 billion, such as widening the M25 roadway and diverting it into a tunnel, constructing a southern rail link, building a sixth terminal while maintaining access to Terminal 5, and more. The commission’s analysis of the air quality uses are based on an incorrect interpretation of the law, Gatwick says, where the commission confirmed that Gatwick’s air quality wouldn’t suffer with a new runway.
To analyze potential economic benefits that each airport could deliver, the commission also used passenger traffic forecasts that Gatwick says are seriously overplayed in favor of Heathrow.
As far as noise is concerned, the commission concluded that a three-runway Heathrow would have a lower noise impact than a two-runway Heathrow today. Gatwick says it ignores the fact that Gatwick’s noise impact would be lower than Heathrow’s. In addition, one of the conditions for Heathrow receiving a third runway is that there would be a ban on night flights, which would restrict access to Asian carriers.
The debate over where to build a new runway in Southeast England has been ongoing for 25 years, to the growing frustration of the British International Freight Association. Boris Johnson, London’s colorful Mayor, opposes an additional runway at Heathrow.