Airlines back Heathrow runway plans

UK airlines have expressed their support for plans for a third runway at Heathrow Airport, announced by the government yesterday (November 22nd).

British Airways chief executive Willie Walsh said the carrier was dedicated to making sure that growth at the hub would be sustainable and stressed that airlines wanting to operate more flights would have to pay for the reduction of carbon emissions in other sectors.

He added that CO2 emissions from aviation will have been subjected to caps by the European Union for a number of years by the time the new runway is built and made operational.

Meanwhile, Virgin Atlantic chief executive Steve Ridgway claimed that limits on Heathrow's expansion would be damaging for the UK aviation industry and would "limit the choice available to the huge number of people living in London who want to travel to visit friends and family".

"We rely on air travel to connect people and places on a wider scale," he added.

Yesterday, Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce chief executive Angie Robinson told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that one option for taking pressure off Heathrow Airport could be to expand capacity at the UK's regional airports.

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