New runway or new airport?

[marktaylor]

I would be interested in any ones views on the new strategy for air transport in the west midlands.

Should Birmingham International be upgraded with an additional runway or should a brand new airport be built on the top of two villages in Warwickshire?

Personally i would like to see Birmingham upgraded. The reason for this is that there is already a good motorway network, rail system and the NEC near by. It is also closer to the city centre than it would be if we saw a new airport in Warwickshire.

I fully understand the comments of local residents living next to Birmingham International, but i would hope that they understand the amount of employment that the airport brings.

I think that Birmingham business would increase with an airport upgrade and would be essential to the long term economic structure in the local area.

What worries me is that the same mistakes will be made as with London Luton. A city airport within 1.5hours of the city, and that's on a good day!

[luoto]

Reading some articles it said that BHX would close if the new Cov/Rugby thing came about. How can the Govt say it will close. Can they just order it to close? BHX has spent a lot of money on its building site recently and the last time I flew through it was still ongoing.

I miss the Maglev though, but don't miss the many useless MAS check-in girls.

[canberra]

when i heard alastair darling speak about a new airport in the coventry-rugby area immediatley thought bitteswell! as has been said elmdon is in a superb location, but has it got the room for another runway?

[marktaylor]

Another thing that bothers me, with my environmental hat on! is if the new airport is built on greenbelt land as proposed, what happens to the local wildlife?

Surely this would mean that the chances of bird strikes are increased, especially when the airport is in its infancy.

I suppose however that the new road systems, hotels, rail links and businesses that will spring up along side the new airport will push the wildlife further away before an aircraft touches the tarmac.

I think it would be interesting to hear what the local environmentalists think about the proposed new airport.

Happy flying...

rotate!

[Riverboat]

Let's face it, there is no chance of this new airport ever being built, but it might help the planners decide to expand BHX and CVT. CVT has a decent length runway, which could easily be extended at one end, and there is a lot of green and brown field areas around it. No reason at all why it should not handle just as much traffic as BHX is doing now in (say) 10 years time, if money is pumped into it.

Meanwhile BHX can build a second terminal, and increase its numbers: LGW only has one runway, but 3 times as many pax use LGW as BHX - maybe more.

So with BHX and CVT in harness, why bother the wildlife in that vast area of green countryside between Coventry and Rugby. Don't make no sense!

Riverboat

[WX Man]

Wolverhampton Business Airport, soon to be renamed Central England International.