Gatwick states the obvious in the fight for a new runway
Gatwick Airport has made its latest pitch for permission to build a second runway, claiming it will regenerate South London and offer better links for the city than expansion at Heathrow.
Sir Terry Farrell, the architect planning the new runway for the airport, said a larger Gatwick could produce the same sort of economic boost that the Olympics did for East London.
“It’s not an extension, it’s not an add on, it’s a fundamental transformation of this airport. It puts it on the map as a truly international airport,” Sir Terry said during an event this morning named “Gatwick Obviously”.
Gatwick, which is competing with Heathrow for the right to build another runway, reckons it can finish a runway by 2025 for £7bn, around £400m of which would be spent on road and rail links.
Chief executive Stewart Wingate said a lot of the improvements needed at Gatwick, such as Thameslink and road widening, were already planned and funded by the government.
Wingate said his airport better caters for the short-haul journeys that make up 62 per cent of all London traffic. “[Heathrow] have priced themselves out of the market. The airport charges destroyed the low cost market,” he said.
“The same long haul destinations can be served. We are not saying we want to close Heathrow… we are just saying it would be madness to expand it.”
By Gatwick’s sums, a second runway would mean London’s two biggest airports serve 442 destinations by 2050, compared to 415 if Heathrow were given a third runway.
The South London airport has also made much of Heathrow’s higher airport charges, claiming passengers would pay more than £35 a trip to pass through a larger Heathrow, compared to £12-£15 at a bigger Gatwick.
Heathrow, meanwhile, says it can build a third runway to the north west of the airport by 2026 for around £17bn and offer more hub connections to long-haul destinations.
The government’s airports commission, led by Sir Howard Davies, is expected to recommend a spot for a new runway after the 2015 general election. The option of building a brand new airport in the Thames Estuary will be ruled in or out this autumn.