Gatwick expansion: Rethink urged
The British travel industry is to urge the UK government to reconsider a decision not to expand Gatwick airport, it was disclosed today.
The Government is set to abide by a long-standing agreement not to build another runway at the West Sussex airport before 2019.
But the Association of British Travel Agents wants the Government to have another look at the Gatwick situation.
“The travel industry is particularly disappointed about the Gatwick ruling because so many of our customers in the south of England find Gatwick a convenient airport,” said Abta’s chief executive Ian Reynolds.
He went on: “We want to see some revision of the current plans.”
Mr Reynolds was speaking at the beginning of his association’s annual convention in Cairo.
The Government outlined options for airport expansion throughout the UK in July and Transport Secretary Alistair Darling is due to lay down clear Government policy in an aviation White Paper next year.
Abta said there was no support among its members for a new airport in the Thames estuary at Cliffe in Kent as this would be too expensive, there was no existing infrastructure there and it would cause great environmental damage.
Cliffe is just one of the options put forward in the Government proposals but most commentators believe that Cliffe is a non-starter.
Abta is also keen on an extended runway at Luton airport. Ideally the association would like three new runways in south east England – preferably one each at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted.
If this could not be agreed then there should be one new runway at Heathrow and two new runways at Stansted.
