'Island airport' proposed for London

People travelling through London in the future could make use of a new airport based on an artificial island in the Thames estuary, according to reports.

London mayor Boris Johnson first proposed the idea of a new island hub in the Thames to relieve congestion at Heathrow Airport in his campaign ahead of the mayoral elections, BBC News reports.

Mr Johnson said that the location of Heathrow was "a planning error of decades ago" that would be exacerbated by continuous expansions of the airport into the suburbs of west London.

He added: "I'm looking at all the airports around the perimeter including the option of a new site somewhere in the Thames estuary, that's something I definitely think we should look at.

"What we are looking at is a way of solving this great capital's aviation needs without endlessly expanding our number one international airport."

A spokesperson for the mayor told the BBC that Mr Johnson plans to carry out a feasibility study to determine how viable a new airport would be.

By the end of the year, the government is expected to make a decision on the possible expansion of Heathrow Airport.

The proposal has been controversial with local residents and environmental campaigners but is crucial for the future of the London hub, according to airport operator BAA.

Posted by Teddie, 22 September 2008 14:27

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