Heathrow debate rolls on
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The debate into the future of the UK’s airport capacity continued this week after a report and government stances were made.
While the All Party Parliamentary Group on Aviation (APPG) said the UK needs to grow as a hub either through Heathrow or a new purpose-built airport, the government widely rejected a third runway at the former.
George Osborne said he understood that the UK needs more airport capacity, particularly in the south-east, and added that it will talk to parties over where it should grow within the coming months. Transport Secretary Justine Greening said she still opposed the third runway.
In its new report, APPG pressed that the UK was being left behind on aviation capacity and called for an aviation policy and review of Air Passenger Duty (APD) to help boost the economy.
“It’s time we had some joined up Government thinking on this. When will this Government accept that a vigorous aviation industry is essential for the economy and for jobs and that we need to compete with our international rivals for business by growing our trading links with the rest of the world rather than taxing them out of existence or allowing them to wither away through a lack of airport capacity?,” commented Simon Buck, chief executive of the British Air Transport Association (BATA).