Thames World Central is the only real, long term solution to the "Heathrow problem". Heathrow was a decent airport when it had more runways than it has now and fewer terminals and it did what it was supposed to do. However, times have progressed and Heathrow no longer has the ability to cope with the expansion in air travel which is in progress right now.
Talk of a third runway is fatuous for so many reasons. Traffic using this mythical proposal will have to cross 09L/27R to access 4 of the 5 current terminals unless a 6th. terminal and all it's associated infrastructure are added to the costs. Mixed mode operations will be necessary at all times. I can already hear the anti-noise uproar. The solution to this little conundrum being to build a 4th. runway. So, that means the M4 and probably the M25 being rerouted. Do you really seriously think that FGP TopCo Limited have the resources or more importantly access to the resources to finance all this?
Thames World Central or whatever you want to call the new Thames Estuary Airport and the associated infrastructure would have to be financed by central Government and if ever there was a time for a big infrastructure project spend, now would be the time for it.
The prospect of a third runway at Heathrow has been dismissed by all the political parties now so it ain't going to happen. Let's move on and discuss the reality of a totally new airport designed for the 21st. Century with 21st. Century facilities. 6 runways, spaced so that simultaneous parallel approaches and departures can be carried out in all weather.
The current designs being touted have obviously had no or very little input from those who will be using the airport operationally. The runway spacing is wrong, the alignment is wrong and the terminals need to be in the centre of the airport, not at the end of the runways. These are the aspects that need to be focussed on. A third runway at Heathrow doesn't solve any long-term problems. At best it would be a temporary sticking plaster solution only, requiring a proper solution later. It's a non-starter. Let's have some realism, please.
OTB