Thames London Airport Moves A Step Closer

[grumbles69]

I have just been reading that the government have now put their backing to the River Thames Airport proposal.
Apparently if built it will be situated near the Isle of Grain and be the largest airport in the world.
I would be interested to hear any of your thoughts on this proposal, i.e What the implications are for the existing London Airports?
What would happen to the expansion of Southend?
Would the safety regardng the already crowded skies over the South East be compromised?
Thanks in advance for any thoughts.

[SpringHeeledJack]

I'd imagine that Sarfend would die a death as would most of the nearby airports once the super airport was up and running, especially if fast transport links were included to and from civilisation. The air traffic around London would sure change, make a LOT of blighted residents happier and (no doubt) cause a whole set of others to curse the new airport.

I do wonder though, how will they negociate with millions of migrating birds that use the Thames Estuary as a resting/feeding ground, especially as they've been doing this for perhaps thousands of years and might not understand the implication of FOD and aircraft powerplants The proposed airport makes sense, especially on an architects drawing board and a politicians manifest, but in reality.....well, just look at all the large building projects started by the UK for an indication.


SHJ

[PAXboy]

Anyone who thinks that this is going to get the go ahead - can rest easy. NOT A CHANCE!!

• Such a scheme would, as mentioned by SpringHeeledJack, irritate just about everyone.
• Protesters these days have their process' honed to a fine degree.
• It would require central govt funding on a massive scale - whose govt has massive funds?
• LHR would have to stay, or be replaced with something else in the central South.
• If they thought that they COULD ditch LHR, who would pay BAAplc for T5 and the revamped T2, which would be costed over a (minimum) 20 year life span?

The airline biz in the UK has already been changed in the past 20 years by:

• Deregulation of Europe and elsewhere
• LoCos
• Privatisation of airports and carriers
• The 2007 crash and recession - which has many years yet to run
• The emergence of Emirates and the other mid east carriers
• The Euro hubs of FRA, CDG + AMS have already taken most of the hub traffic
• Carriers are able to use direct, long thin routes, in a way that was not open before.
• Just how much are all the carriers going to have to pay to support operations at this field? In order to do so, they would HAVE to leave one of the others (STN/LGW) and how much spare cash of the carriers got to invest in running another major field in the South East of this tiny country?

And so it goes on. There will always be a need for a 2nd runway at LGW (which will not be built) and a 3rd at LHR (which will not be built). They will not be built for the same reason that this will not be built. No UK govt has the money or the b@lls to make it happen.

This announcement is just to make it look like they are doing something.

Next proposal please!!!

[glad rag]

^^^^This^^^^^

[VintageKrug]

Splendid.

I'm looking forward to flying from

Baroness Thatcher International Airport

!

[PAXboy]

VintageKrug = Very funny idea (not)
glad rag = Thanks for the PPRuNe equivalent of FB 'like'! I have added one other point.

[L'aviateur]

Wouldn't a more sensible option be to develop a direct high speed link along the East Coast Railway line to one of the many airports along the route, particularly somewhere like Doncaster for instance.
With the right train you could be in side the terminal in little over an hour, have check in services in the railway station in London with baggage drop for people who have an evening flight.
Something similar to the Hong Kong setup.

A) Would generate jobs up north
B) Would reduce the amount of air traffic in the South
C) Has lots of room for expansion.

[Gulfstreamaviator]

Much too logical option

Remember where to money is....follow the money.....

NIMBY glf

[robmack]

Surely the best location for another airport would be south of Calais-flat countryside, relatively unpopulated, equidistant from London, Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam (all about 40mins by high speed raillink)? Perhaps some of our French readers could give their opinion?

[Ancient Observer]

I would be a big supporter of Boris Island with great transport links......BUT the transport links would have to be brilliant.

Maybe they should ask that bloke who delivered the Olympic sites on time to start now??

[PAXboy]

Sorry to be a broken record ...

• No new major airport will be built in the UK mainland within the forseeable future
• No airport will be significantly expanded with a second or third runway in the UK mainland within the forseeable future
• Call it 25 years because there is no money or political will to overcome the protesters that now range across many different areas: NIMBY + Green + £££
• The opportunity window closed during the period of 1989~1999