Vote against third runway at Heathrow

WITH a parliamentary vote on a third Heathrow runway looming, the airport has been busy trying to win the support of MPs outside the south east of England by promising new jobs and new regional connections (A third Heathrow runway is coming and a direct rail link with Wales is said to be “vital”, June5). In fact, it can’t deliver either, and the Government’s vague promises to support regional airports (while expanding Heathrow) lack any substance.

Heathrow’s estimates of new jobs generated by the project don’t stand up to scrutiny, not least as much of the employment created by the scheme would mean shifting people out of their local area and into the south east. And in contrast to Heathrow’s talk of 14 domestic connections if it gets a new runway, official forecasts show the number of domestic connections into Heathrow falling to just five by 2050 (from eight today) even with expansion. In terms of passenger demand, a bigger Heathrow would mean less growth at almost every other UK airport, those same forecasts show.

Finally, the “national benefit” the Government claims from the scheme excludes both its environmental costs (climate change, noise and air pollution) and the public cost of the extra road and rail infrastructure required.

A third runway at Heathrow Airport would benefit Heathrow Airport. It’s very doubtful that the rest of us stand to gain. We hope that Welsh MPs will vote no to the Government’s third runway plan. Cait Hewitt Deputy Director Aviation Environment Federation London SE1