Gatwick pushes for alliance move
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The UK’s second busiest airport, Gatwick, believes it is in with a fighting chance of tempting one of the global airline alliances away from Heathrow, according to its chief executive.
Stewart Wingate has said that if the airport is able to build its second runway, it will have the infrastructure and appeal to bring in a major alliance due to the amount of landing slots made available.
The decision is dependent on Sir Howard Davies’ Airports Commission recommending a second runway at Gatwick rather than a third runway at Heathrow or the proposal put forward by the Mayor of London.
The Financial Times quoted Wingate as saying the choice for the UK’s airport expansion was now between Heathrow and Gatwick because the Mayor’s option was proving too expensive.
While the major alliances – Oneworld, Star and SkyTeam- have all previously said they want to remain at Heathrow, Wingate is believes that if Gatwick is given the green light or its extension, they will attract one of the bodies. Although the paper rules the British Airways led Oneworld out of the equation, with it signalling its intentions to remain at Heathrow.
“The second runway would give us a similar potential to that of Heathrow, and enable us to compete directly with them,” he said.
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