Press Release

"No new flights until delays drop" say London business leaders

01 December 2008

Influential business organisation, London First, has today called for a reform of the way Heathrow operates, including operating mixed mode runways and reserving a third runway for building in headroom, rather than packing it to capacity with new flights.

London business has been concerned by the poor quality of service experienced by business passengers at Heathrow airport. Publishing their conclusions on how to restore Heathrow to premier global standards, London First urged four key recommendations:

1. Put the Passenger first

 Regulation should be modernised to drive up service quality, reducing queues and flight delays and maintaining and improving terminal 'fabric’'.

2. Don't sweat the assets to breaking point

Use of mixed mode, as well as a new runway, should be used first and foremost to reduce delays and restore breathing space at Heathrow, not to increase flights.

3. No new flights until delays reduce

There should be no new flights at Heathrow until its performance matches that of other rival European hubs.

4. Introduce a ratchet down on air pollution and noise

Cap noise and air pollution levels, with an independent body to measure them

Lower this cap over time to encourage technological innovation and minimise the impact on the local environment

Allow the ratchet to remove as well as add flight slots, depending on delays and air and noise pollution levels.

Baroness Jo Valentine, Chief Executive of London First, said:

"Heathrow needs breathing room more than it needs more planes.

"We should allow no more flights than is consistent with guaranteed excellent passenger service and minimal delays. Noise and air pollution should be externally measured and kept within strict limits, which don’t rise with the number of flights. This is the basis upon which London’s business leaders would support a third runway."

"Using both runways to take off and land should not usher in more flights – it should instead create breathing space in flight schedules.  But Heathrow will need another runway in the longer term.  And we will need it to work for passengers, not against them, not sweating the assets to breaking point.

"Heathrow is packed to capacity. Despite the current economic situation, and aviation being included in emissions trading arrangements, demand for business and leisure flights will continue to increase, long term. And we’ve seen that Heathrow can struggle to deal with current demand. London deserves better and visitors to London deserve better. We must ensure we’re equipped to cope; that's not going to happen by squeezing ever more passengers into overcrowded terminals and runways."