British Airways boss underlines Heathrow Airport importance

British Airways chief executive Willie Walsh has underlined the importance of Heathrow Airport to the future of the aviation industry in the UK.

Speaking at the Airport Operators' Association annual conference, Mr Walsh said that the country would be burdened by inadequate air links for 30 years if the government refuses permission for a third runway at Heathrow Airport.

If next month's decision on Heathrow rules out another runway, Britain could be left without a strong rival to major hubs in Europe and the Middle East, Mr Walsh warned.

"We have prevaricated about airport expansion for far too long. Meanwhile the other major European countries have raced ahead, investing in hub airport capacity to provide the geographic network businesses need as the global economy develops and intensifies," the British Airways boss said.

"Since 1990, while the networks of Frankfurt, Amsterdam and Paris Charles de Gaulle have increased, Heathrow's has declined by 20 per cent."

Mr Walsh also stressed that the threat to Heathrow Airport comes from beyond Europe, with work already underway on a six-runway, 24-hour hub in Dubai.

The British Airways boss dismissed the idea of a new London airport in the Thames estuary and insisted that now is the time to move forward with Heathrow.

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