What is it that is so special about Heathrow?
M4 corridor? Use Farnborough then. It’s closer and certainly has a runway big enough for the largest aircraft – and it is woefully underused despite what the local 'NIMBY's' say.
The European ‘financial gentry' have London City to service them and could, if necessary, use Manston.
Who are the majority of people using Heathrow? Tourists. If foreign Travel Agents could be prevailed upon to design travel itinerary’s that do not all universally start in London but at one of the many other, excellent and relatively under-used airports around the Kingdom then Heathrow’s over-capsity begins to diminish significantly.
As for British people departing the country (for whatever reason) then more regional departure points would be most welcome. I remember in the days when I lived in the West Country I used Exeter, Bristol and Cardiff as a far more convenient departure points for overseas travel. It was a pain in the @rse and expensive having to travel up to Heathrow or Gatwick by train and usually involved the additional cost of hotel accommodation near the airport in order to check-in on time.
As for the 'third runway' there a perfectly good third runway five miles north of Heathrow at Northolt. Never mind that it's an RAF field and VIP flights depart and arrive at it. In this respect who are more important? Thousands of displaced citizens or whichever 'Prat of the Day' happens to be Prime Minister or Pilot Officer Prunes' commanding officer?
Skipness One Echo – from your PPRuNe profile you are neither aircrew nor Heathrow based ground staff so I’m not sure where you’re coming from. However, I get the impression that if you do have a vested interest in Heathrow then your passionate defence of this latest UK government inspired lunacy has more to do with looking after Number One rather than taking a broader view of what is really involved. I’m sure that if your home was in Sibson or nearby then you would be taking a very different line.
No, I’m sorry, but there is absolutely no justification at all in destroying thousands of ordinary people’s environment, community, homes,way of life and livelihoods in order to accomplish this quite ridiculous scheme when there are plenty of perfectly viable alternatives already available.
Last edited by Xeque; 24th Jan 2009 at 15:07.