.. albeit whilst recollecting lengthy political discussions in the late 1960's, regarding a brand new "DFW-size & style" London Airport, with proposed siting at Wing (yes, true - near Leighton Buzzard). Or Cublington - or Shoeburyness - or Foulness. Those places were all listed as possible locations during the debates at the time.
Those sites were all for a potential "THIRD London airport", not a replacement for Heathrow and/or Gatwick, as was the case with Boris Fantasy Island. At the time, the best site for a "third London airport" was not even considered: on open land that was, and still is, available north of Heathrow.
Eventually the role of "third London airport" went to Stansted, a site that was already an airport, although most would have considered that Luton was the the "third London airport" at that time (early 1970s).
However, being politicians, it was of course eventually decided that the best decision was no decision...
Yet meanwhile, at DFW, CDG, DXB ... and so on, and so forth. Across the globe - except London.
Turned out to be the worst decision, but they never learned, and still haven't learned.
With respect to expanding regional hubs, I'd say that's down to the regions, but some investment funding from HMG would be required. Although more domestic connectivity to/from LHR would always be welcome.
Always welcome
and desperately needed: not all non-London UK airports have the variety and choice of services available at Ringway.
Investment from the government for transport infrastructure is also always welcome
and also desperately needed, so why is it an issue in relation to Heathrow, but not, say, in relation to Ringway?
Slight thread drift...
On Friday evening, I was delivering a colleague to T3 on his way home to MEL and we talked about the LHR problem and he said:
SYD has exactly the same problem. The city grew up around the airport and no politician wants to be the one to say which houses must go or which green field site must be chosen for a desperately needed new airport.
Same old, same old.
Indeed it does, its equivelant of "open land available north of Heathrow" is Botany Bay, i.e. more reclamation. Knocking down Mascot is not an option.
Apparently a site for another airport has been ear-marked way out in the western suburbs........