Heathrow expansion verdict welcomed by city airport

NEWCASTLE International Airport has welcomed a House of Commons vote in favour of expansion of Heathrow Airport.

Graeme Mason, the airport’s planning and corporate affairs director, said: “Our focus will now be on ensuring that the North East continues to benefit from this connectivity and from Monday night’s important decision.”

The Government has already triggered the next step towards the expansion after victory in the House of Commons.

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has formally designated the Airports National Policy Statement (NPS), paving the way for the airport to submit a formal planning application.

This means a group of councils and campaigners have six weeks to submit a legal challenge to block the project.

Campaigners insist they are still “utterly confident” they will defeat plans for a third runway.

Newcastle International Airport argued a third runway was needed to ensure it retained existing services to Heathrow.

Mr Mason said: “The region currently benefits from up to six flights a day between Newcastle and Heathrow, carrying over half a million passengers a year.

“Almost 70% (350,000) of these passengers are using Heathrow as a hub to connect to destinations across Europe, and increasingly to longer haul destinations across the world.”

Construction could begin in 2021, and the third runway operational by 2026.