Davies “favours Heathrow expansion”

Howard Davies suggestions for airport expansion have a lenience towards a third and potential fourth runway at Heathrow to cope with on-going demand, according to reports this morning.

Details of the Airport Commission’s interim report have been apparently leaked after Davies took a draft to Chancellor George Osborne yesterday, which are said to skew towards a third runway at Heathrow and then either a fourth at the airport or a second at Gatwick, according to the Guardian.

Osborne already favours the Heathrow expansion, while rumours are circulating that previous critic Ed Miliband is now backing the third runway.

Davies’ report is thought to include more options to balance out the argument but is in favour of Heathrow, while ruling out additional runways at Stansted or Boris Johnson’s Thames Estuary idea.

Both Heathrow and Gatwick have continued to issue evidence to the commission as to why they would be the best expansion option.

Gatwick today released a 24-page assessment to how it could offer as much as Heathrow if a second runway is built, with the airport worried it could miss out on expansion altogether.

However Heathrow has responded saying it is not opposed to a second runway at Gatwick.

In a statement, Heathrow Airport said: “Heathrow is the UK’s only hub airport and competes with Frankfurt, Paris and Amsterdam for transfer passengers to support long haul routes. As the country’s most important point to point airport, Gatwick serves a different market.

“There is a clear business case for a third runway at Heathrow regardless of whether Gatwick is also permitted to expand. We do not agree with Gatwick’s stance that there can only be one new runway in the south east and we would welcome a solution in which both airports were allowed to grow to deliver choice for passengers and airlines,” it added.

Davies will release his interim report on 17 December.