UKinbound welcomes report backing third Heathrow runway
UKinbound has welcomed the Airports Commission recommendation to back a third runway at Heathrow.
In its final report, the Airports Commission said a third runway at Heathrow Airport would add £147b in economic growth and create 70,000 new jobs by 2050.
But it also stated that stringent conditions on noise and air pollution would have to be met, including a ban on all scheduled night flights between 11.30pm and 6am.
UKinbound's chief executive officer Deidre Wells said: "Heathrow is our gateway to the globe and a hub for businesses and tourists from across the world and this expansion is vital to maintaining the world-class air connectivity that the UK benefits from. The key thing now will be for the government to act swiftly to implement the Commission's recommendations in order to facilitate the current demand that is only going to grow further."
She added: "Tourism is the UK's third biggest employer and given that overseas visitor spending accounts for £22b in export earnings, an investment in the UK's airport capacity is surely an investment in the future of the UK economy."
The long-awaited final report set out recommendations to the government for expanding aviation capacity in the UK.
The report said the Commission had unanimously concluded that the proposal for a new northwest runaway at Heathrow Airport presented the strongest case and offered the greatest strategic economic benefits.
But London mayor Boris Johnson, who has often been a vocal opponent of proposals for an additional runway at Heathrow, told the BBC it would have a "catastrophic" effect.
Sir Howard Davies, chair of the Airports Commission, said the comission's findings were "clear and unanimous".
"Heathrow is best-placed to provide the type of capacity which is most urgently required: long haul destinations to new markets. It provides the greatest benefits for business passengers, freight operators and the broader economy," he added.
While Davies said that the report is detailed and comprehensive and the government will need to review the analysis carefully, he also urged for a decision to be made as quickly as possible.
He said: "Further delay will be increasingly costly and will be seen, nationally and internationally, as a sign that the UK is unwilling or unable to take steps needed to maintain its position as a well-connected, open trading economy in the 21st century."
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