Mr Humphrys
If you read this site then I would just like to say that you sound like another bitter sad old failed pilot turned journo.
As with any form of journalistic media you report should have been neutral and informative.
But as a "lower than a snakes belly" journalist you are incapable of fair, honest and balanced news.
You reverted to type and contrived a biased and ill thought out story just to waste yet more paper.
I as an unemployed pilot require T5 and increased slots and night flying at LHR and any other airport to stimulate demand.
Lets have a look at some of your ill conceived comments.
"Ghetto of economy class". How dare you some of us don't have big TV wages or work for TST and have to pay for our own tickets.
"And yet we still treat the industry with an exaggerated respect and grant it concessions enjoyed by no other industry". By the way, I subsidise you and that outdated monolith the BBC with my unjust TV licence and the Beeb has been protected long enough from the harse real world.
"A tax on fuel might mean fewer passengers" Good! You really are stupid and arrogant as this will mean 1000's more of unemployed aviation personnel. What would you say to them when they can't afford Christmas for their nearest and dearest or can't afford the mortgage?
Oh and by the way here's somthing even a failed pilot like your can understand.
IF YOU DIONT LIKE AIRCRAFT NOISE THEN DONT MOVE NEAR TO AN AIRPORT. Its not difficult.
Have you considered that a package holiday is all that some can afford or that All Inclusive and sitting inside a compound is some peoples choice.
Heathrow is the worlds busiest International airport and along with Concorde (how dare you criticise something you not worthy of looking at) is something Britain can be proud of. We should build up to Terminal 10 and put down another 5 runways and fly all night. Why? well because there is a demand and it creates employment for 10,000's of people.
Your a horrid little man commenting on a very complex industry which you failed to get into. In Other words FOXTROT OSCAR and just keep giving us bad news every evening on TV to a world that needs chearing up (how can you live with yourself).