british airways welcomes heathrow improvement plans
Third runway to benefit Mid East passengers and preserve Heathrow’s international hub status
Dubai, UAE: British Airways – the UK’s flagship carrier which operates 21 weekly flights from the UAE to London Heathrow - is among key UK businesses and trades unions calling for rapid progress on development of Heathrow, following official rulings that plans for expanding runway capacity had passed environmental tests.
The UK government has confirmed that proposals for a short, third runway and fuller use of the two existing runways would meet stringent requirements for reducing noise and improving local air quality.
As part of ‘Future Heathrow’, a group representing employers, staff and aviation organisations, British Airways urged that firm decisions should be taken quickly to implement the first increases in runway capacity at the UK’s national hub since 1946.
Paul Starrs, British Airways’ Commercial Manager, Middle East said, “British Airways moves into its new home, Terminal 5 at London Heathrow, in March 2008. This will go a long way to easing recent problems at the airport, offering our regional passengers landing at, or transitting through, Heathrow a far more comfortable terminal experience, with less queuing, faster baggage systems and better punctuality. However, a third runway is imperative to ensuring London remains an international hub.”
Making fuller use of the two existing runways through ‘mixed mode’ operation would increase airport capacity, and dramatically reduce delays and time spent in stacks before landing and in taxiway queues before take-off.
The squeeze on runway slots has seen Heathrow’s range of destinations shrink from 227 in 1990 to only 180 today. A third runway is necessary to enable expansion of Heathrow’s network, particularly to the world’s growing economies, including many in Asia. It would provide scope for adding up to 75 new destinations to the airport’s network.
Willie Walsh, British Airways’ Chief Executive said that plans for the expansion of Heathrow were the acid test of the UK’s seriousness about pursuing ‘green growth’, stating, “More capacity at the country’s hub airport is essential for the future prosperity of an island nation in a globalised economy.
“We can develop Heathrow without any increase in overall emissions. Airlines will be included in the EU carbon trading system from 2011, several years before a third runway could become operational.
“Carbon trading will mean that any airline wanting to increase emissions by flying more (using Heathrow’s third runway or anywhere else) can do so only if it pays for equivalent emissions reductions in other industries.”
The UK government’s consultation on development of Heathrow Airport runs until 27 February 2008.
British Airways is adding six additional weekly flights on the Dubai – London Heathrow route for its forthcoming winter schedule, beginning December 17th, taking the airline’s weekly services from the UAE to London’s principal airport to 27 - including the daily service from Abu Dhabi. The carrier also operates daily services to London Heathrow from Qatar, Oman, Bahrain and Kuwait.
