LPL to LHR not necessary but essential
LPL has backed LHR expansion and its essential. MAN has a direct one Hong Kong service 5 times a week hardly an alternative to LHR with at least 8 daily and throughout the day. I fully support the expansion of LHR which is the only UK hub airport and a service to LPL. Terminal 5 is world class and BA is the preferred airline of many business people and UK residents. A LPL link is long overdue.
Whilst the NW airports can play complementary roles we should not forget the advantages of a strong local airport. Yes use MAN /LPL when its the best option but we need LHR its good for UK plc Lets have choice
Exactly, good to read some common sense.
The operational case for LHR expansion is widely accepted. However, the financial cost of providing LHR R3 is extraordinarily high, at close to 100x the inflation-adjusted cost of delivering the second runway at Manchester (£273M). Many, myself included, argue that this extraordinary sum does not come close to offering value for money. The choice you desire cannot be provided without due consideration to cost. The (very large) public element of funding required would be far better spent directly on long-neglected infrastructure projects in the regions, for example dealing with the bottleneck that is Lime Street Station.
This debate is comprehensively discussed on the PPRuNe Heathrow thread. Go back about three months and read to date if interested in this particular topic.
Shed, you're flogging a dead horse. The decision, if there is one, won't be made on grounds of finance, no matter how much it is spinned and/or distorted.