Ringwayman - even post 9/11, MAG were still predicting fantasy numbers for growth. Forecasts made in 2002 were for 30m+ by 2010 and even if you take it back to pre-recession times, they were forecasting 27m/28m for 2007. Were there any events between 2002 and 2007 that had any dramatic impact on passenger numbers? You'll have to remind me, because as I recall it was a boom period. The "safety" angle is a nice try at a bit of revisionism but doesn't fool anyone who was on the receiving end of the lobbying for R2. We all know it was about overtaking LGW, stopping LPL getting a foothold in the NW and laying down a marker in the willy waving contest about the second city status.