Government Approved Third Runway for Heathrow
AFTER years of debate, MPs last night finally gave the green light for work to begin on a controversial third Heathrow runway for Simon Calder. The decision came as fears mounted that without it, the ubiquitous Independent holiday correspondent’s air travel may not return to normal levels until 2024.
Ministers believe that having a third runway for exclusive use by the travel writer would help allay the public’s concerns over the state of the airliner industry.
Speaking to This Morning about the scrapping of the EHIC card, Calder said the announcement made sense, but advised the firms tendering for the construction work on the runway to read their contracts carefully.
“People potentially working on the new runway should consider investing in a travel card,” he told Holly Willoughby.
“There are some great deals out there for getting to Heathrow. A £6 daily bus and rail travel card is great value, if you don’t mind occasionally getting wet,” he told the Jeremy Vine Show over the phone.
AIRPORT
He also advised surveyors assessing the land for the third runway to consider using remote airport parking companies rather than expensive long stay car parks.
“There are some great deals out there to be had,” he told The One Show via text. “There is ample parking and regular shuttle buses service the land earmarked for development, meaning the whole parking experience is hassle free,” he told LBC’s Eddie Mair show.
FORGET
And the new the two-mile runway, to be completed in early 2023, will be equipped with its own media centre so Calder can do interviews by leaning out of the window while his plane is taxiing.
TODAY
But not everyone was pleased by the announcement. Local residents opposed to the plan are worried that the new runway could see TV crews congregating near the fencing to interview Calder, and they plan to march to London to deliver a petition to Downing Street calling for work to be halted.
Talking from the toilet in the BBC Breakfast studio, Calder advised residents to book their journeys to London well in advance and consider split ticketing.
“Why not take in the sights of London from a fantastic tour bus! There are some great deals to be had, and most tours take in Downing Street, so you can hop off and hand in your petition,” he told the man pissing next to him.
LOVE
But a government spokesman said that the decision was the right one and argued that it would create over 500 new jobs. “More than 70% of all Simon Calder’s flights are set to go through Heathrow by 2025,” he said.
“If we scrap the scheme, he could be poached by another major hub, such as Frankfurt or Amsterdam,” he warned.