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By Paula Planelles Manzanaro
Heathrow’s future could be threatened if the construction of a new hub airport in the Thames Estuary goes ahead, leading airlines have warned. More than 75,000 workers at Heathrow and those employers in businesses dependent on the airport, such as hotels, caterers or other local companies could lost their jobs, reaching a total of 100,000 jobs. Local unions fear the impact on the local economy if the Government gave the green light to Boris Island, the popular nickname of the new airport’s project. “A vanity project like this would wreck the economy of West London and blight the world reputation of London”, Oliver Richardson of Unite, told The Times.
The fears have emerged as unions and airlines view the two hub airport as not viable in the same city. The opening of Boris Island would involve the closure of Heathrow, “which would have profound effects on jobs and business locations in west London, the M4 corridor and the Thames Valley”, a spokesman for British Airways commented.
There are doubts about the viability of the new estuary plan reports The Daily Telegraph with leading airlines concerned if all the technical, financial, operational and environmental tasks could be carried out. “It has yet to be demonstrated that these issues can be successfully resolved”, British Airways considers.
Virgin Atlantic points out in the same direction. A spokesman for the airline said: “We believe that the UK can support only one strong and viable hub. If this was to relocate east it could have an impact on jobs and businesses in west London”.
Not only are the leading airlines showing their concern about the new construction scheme but also BAA, Heathrow’s operator, describes the fact of having two hubs as impossible. A spokesman said “You can’t have two airports. You can look at various cities around the world who have tried to do that. It is either Heathrow or it is another, and the consequences of closing Heathrow wouldn’t just be big for my company, it would be big for 100,000 jobs in this part of London. It is a huge issue economically; it is a huge issue politically”.
A decision has to be taken in order to resolve the problem of capacity at the airport. Detractors of the new estuary plan consider that an expansion of Heathrow would be a quicker and better solution to Britain’s aviation crisis.
The Government will develop a public consultation on proposals for an estuary hub and will announce its overall aviation plan later in this year.
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