Mr Haines's point does indeed have resonance. Surely one of the acid tests is--- can the scheme inside the airport fence be financed commercially and what ultimate funding mechanism (RAB plus etc) will be used to create the revenue stream? If the project can't pass that test, it's a very different situation from if it can. If the Govt gives a conditional green light to both schemes, I think that increases the chances of ending up with neither. More credible would be to say that market development in the Government's view requires one additional runway by 2030 and a second by 2040 and the first priority is X.
Last edited by anothertyke; 12th Oct 2016 at 11:07.