BAA restates case for third Heathrow runway

Airport operator BAA has restated its case for a third runway at Heathrow Airport, following an announcement from the Conservative party that, should it get into power, it would oppose the plans at the London hub in favour of a high-speed rail service.

Shadow transport secretary Theresa Villiers laid out plans for a rail network that would reportedly cut journey times between London and Birmingham to 40 minutes and from London to Leeds to less than 90 minutes.

Ms Villiers said this system would lay the foundations for a high-speed network that "will one day stretch across the country".

However, a BAA spokesperson said that the country needs a third runway at Heathrow Airport as well as high-speed rail, saying that prioritising one over the other is a "false choice".

The spokesperson added: "It is not clear how this proposal will resolve the lack of airport capacity, a problem which must urgently be addressed.

"The total number of flights to Manchester and Leeds/Bradford is only 13,356, or less than three per cent of Heathrow's total flights. Even if every flight from Manchester and Leeds/Bradford were replaced by a new high-speed rail line then Heathrow would still be operating at 97 per cent of capacity."

London mayor Boris Johnson recently showed his opposition to the plans to expand Heathrow Airport by suggesting that a new airport could be built on an island in the Thames estuary, removing the need for a new runway at Heathrow.

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