On the fly T
he idea of a new hub airport east of London is to be given serious thought. Whether you choose the all-new Boris Island concept or the Norman Foster-led idea of
an airport on the Isle of Grain, passengers would be connected to the capital primarily by high speed rail. This would be Britain’s primary airport,
capable of carrying 150 million passengers a year, making it the world’s largest. So if this
PAGE 26 MARCH 2012
really is an option, it is inconceivable that this would not be a core part of our national transport strategy. Isn’t it? In giving the green light to High
Speed Two (HS2), with an interchange for Heathrow at Old Oak Common, there is an assumption that Heathrow will remain the principle UK airport for generations to come. Perhaps – probably, even – it will be. But
the aviation industry is united in the view that Heathrow cannot compete with rivals
In pressing ahead with High Speed Two’s connectivity with Heathrow Airport, is the government’s rail team out of sync with its aviation team, which is looking at alternatives to Heathrow? Paul Clifton investigates
such as Paris, Amsterdam and Frankfurt without expansion. David Cameron is expected to announce a formal consultation on a new airport to the east of London within weeks. Boris Johnson, the mayor of London, believes it could be built in 10 to 12 years. In other words, quicker than HS2. ‘You can’t have two hubs,’ says Colin
Matthews, chief executive of BAA, which operates Heathrow. ‘It is either Heathrow or it is another. It is a huge issue economically; it is a huge issue politically.’
Shutterstock.com/Jacqueline Abromeit
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