Is Heathrow Airport really the best location for expansion plan?

THE question of the expansion of London’s airports has been going on for more than 45 years. The first ‘third runway’ was Gatwick, then it became Stansted. After that it was decided Heathrow should become the dearest, most taxed airport, with the biggest limitations on noise and flights. Today, there are five international airports serving London, so it shows how much people want to visit and trade in our capital. Passenger numbers are expected to double in the next 20 years. Heathrow has always been a non-runner in a field playing catch-up. It took 19 years just to build Terminal 5 because of site constraints and opposition. Heathrow is in the wrong place, in the middle of suburbia, with most aircraft circulating for up to 20 minutes just trying to land. It runs at 98 per cent capacity, so the slightest hiccup causes mayhem. All our European competitors

have large airports or are enlarging them for more passengers and cargo. When it was suggested a new airport be built in the Thames Estuary, I thought at last someone was thinking laterally. It would make sense to build a new hub airport in the sea, just like Hong Kong, and this building project would take less than ten years. But instead it’s all about Heathrow. JOHN RUSSELL, Wokingham, Berks. THERE are howls of anguish about a third runway at Heathrow from people who can see it’s not ideal, but can’t see we have to choose the least evil. R. J. ANDREWS, Farnborough, Hants. WHY is another runway being built at Hearthrow? There is room to expand Birmingham airport and HS2 will mean the train journey to Central London will be quicker than from Heathrow. This would be a win-win option for everyone.

FRED COPLEY, Birmingham. IT IS wrong to expand Heathrow when air freight could be moved to regional airports, such as Manston, near Ramsgate, which has one of the longest runways in the country. This would free up Heathrow for passengers.

P. L. RADWELL, Grundisburgh, Suffolk. WHY have politicians decided to expand Heathrow? London will soon be one gigantic car park. Why not expand other small airports and provide 24hour transport services instead of pouring more money into the capital? JUDY GOODWIN, Altofts,W. Yorks. NO dOUBT we need a third runway at Heathrow, but should we not be planning for a fourth? TERRY McDONALD-DORMAN, Middleton-St-George, Co. Durham. HERE we go again with the madness of expanding Heathrow. Those against it cite noise and pollution, but the real issue is the threat of terrorism in the air over London. B. WATERS, London N15.