Reopen policy on building third runway at Heathrow airport to safeguard economic prosperity

18 January 2012

Reopen policy on building third runway at Heathrow airport to safeguard economic prosperity and jobs in West London, says GMB as consultations loom on alternative hub

Building a third runway at Heathrow is far less expensive and can be completed earlier than starting from scratch to build a new airport hub in north Kent or in the Thames estuary says GMB

GMB, the union for airport workers, is calling on the major political parties to reopen their policy regarding the building of a third runway at Heathrow Airport in response to announcement that in March 2012 formal consultations will begin on new hub but not at Heathrow.

Mick Rix, GMB National Officer for the civil aviation industry, said "It is plain daft to exclude the option of expanding Heathrow in this consultation. George Osborne in the Autumn Statement announced that the Government was looking at another airport hub in the South of England, but not at Heathrow. GMB consider that this is profoundly wrong and calls on all political parties to reopen the issue of the 3rd runway at Heathrow.

As this consultations shows Government recognizes that there is a shortage of runway capacity and that the prosperity of London and the UK will be held back unless this shortage is addressed. Those who deny this are either fooling themselves or trying to fool the electorate.

Government also recognizes that not building a third runway at Heathrow will not cut aircraft carbon emissions - as the hub will be built somewhere else in the region or if not built in the UK the traffic will move onto mainland Europe. Those who deny this as well are either fooling themselves or trying to fool the electorate.

GMB is dismayed that the government is looking at another airport hub in the South of England when we already have the world's largest airport hub at Heathrow. Building a third runway at Heathrow is far less expensive and can be completed earlier than starting from scratch to build a new airport hub in north Kent or in the Thames estuary. The site for a third runway at Heathrow is adjacent to the existing runways at the airport. Those with expertise to operate an international hub already live in West London. The transport links are mostly there already. Building a third runway opens up updating to an integrated transport hub, which could reduce road congestion, and increase public transport access for the benefit of travellers and the workforce.

A third runway will safeguard the jobs of the tens of thousands of workers in West London whose livelihoods depend on Heathrow. Moving to a new hub location will devastate jobs in West London. The billions that would be wasted building a new hub elsewhere in the region should instead be spent on much needed energy and transport infrastructure projects across the UK. Some of this money saved could be spent on sound insulation for properties in Heathrow's flight path.

Heathrow's world- wide destinations are already decreasing, due to capacity constraints, which have not been addressed by successive governments. New runways at many European hub airports are already taking Heathrow business. This is already having a detrimental knock on effect to jobs, skills and the economy of London and the UK. GMB call on all major political parties to reopen their policy on expanding Heathrow. It is time to confront the reality that the future is Heathrow and any other solution like Boris Island is "pie in the sky".

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