Yes to 3rd Runway at Heathrow
Wednesday 18
th January 2012
REOPEN POLICY ON BUILDING THIRD RUNWAY
AT HEATHROW AIRPORT TO SAFEGUARD ECONOMIC PROSPERITY AND JOBS IN
WEST LONDON SAYS GMB AS CONSULTATIONS LOOM ON ALTERNATIVE
HUB
Building a third runway at Heathrow is
far less expensive and can be completed earlier than starting from
scratch to build a new airport hub in north Kent or in the Thames
estuary says GMB
GMB, the union for airport workers, is calling on the major
political parties to reopen their policy regarding the building of
a third runway at Heathrow Airport in response to announcement that
in March 2012 formal consultations will begin on new hub but not at
Heathrow.
Mick Rix, GMB National Officer for the civil aviation industry,
said “It is plain daft to exclude the option of
expanding Heathrow in this consultation. George Osborne in the
Autumn Statement announced that the Government was looking at
another airport hub in the South of England, but not at Heathrow.
GMB consider that this is profoundly wrong and calls on all
political parties to reopen the issue of the 3rd runway at
Heathrow.
As this consultations shows Government recognizes that there
is a shortage of runway capacity and that the prosperity of London
and the UK will be held back unless this shortage is addressed.
Those who deny this are either fooling themselves or trying to fool
the electorate.
Government also recognizes that not building a third runway at
Heathrow will not cut aircraft carbon emissions - as the hub will
be built somewhere else in the region or if not built in the UK the
traffic will move onto mainland Europe. Those who deny this as well
are either fooling themselves or trying to fool the
electorate.
GMB is dismayed that the government is looking at another airport
hub in the South of England when we already have the world’s
largest airport hub at Heathrow. Building a third runway at
Heathrow is far less expensive and can be completed earlier than
starting from scratch to build a new airport hub in north Kent or
in the Thames estuary. The site for a third runway at Heathrow
is adjacent to the existing runways at the airport. Those with
expertise to operate an international hub already live in West
London. The transport links are mostly there already. Building a
third runway opens up updating to an integrated transport hub,
which could reduce road congestion, and increase public transport
access for the benefit of travellers and the workforce.
A third runway will safeguard the jobs of the tens of thousands of
workers in West London whose livelihoods depend on Heathrow. Moving
to a new hub location will devastate jobs in West London. The
billions that would be wasted building a new hub elsewhere in the
region should instead be spent on much needed energy and transport
infrastructure projects across the UK. Some of this money saved
could be spent on sound insulation for properties in Heathrow’s
flight path.
Heathrow’s world- wide destinations are already decreasing, due to
capacity constraints, which have not been addressed by successive
governments. New runways at many European hub airports are already
taking Heathrow business. This is already having a detrimental
knock on effect to jobs, skills and the economy of London and the
UK. GMB call on all major political parties to reopen their
policy on expanding Heathrow. It is time to confront the reality
that the future is Heathrow and any other solution like Boris
Island is “pie in the sky”.
End
Contact: Mick Rix, GMB National Officer on 07971 268 343 or GMB
Press Office Steve Pryle on 07921 289880 or Rose Conroy on 07974
251 823.