Heathrow considers 6th terminal and 3rd runway

Britain is expected to this month decide on whether to approve a 6th terminal and 3rd runway for busy London Heathrow, and with both sides actively demonstrating their points, this GBP13 billion decision won’t be easy.

BAA, the Spanish-owned firm, which operates the airport has submitted a plan to the government asking to expand Heathrow due to current overcrowding and expected long-term growth.

The British government is this month expected to approve the project, which will generate job growth in difficult times, pressure from environmentalists have grown in recent weeks.

This time it’s not the protestors outside Heathrow or Parliament house which will cause the biggest problem for developers, but Greenpeace, who very quietly bought up an acre of land in the middle of the proposed development zone, with the intentions of subdividing the land into hundreds, if not thousands of little plots to then sell to activists around the world.

If the government approves the development, they will then need to buy back the land from all the individuals, which is sure to cause numerous hours and headaches.

“We’re expecting the government will announce that they’re going ahead with expansion at Heathrow this week and we now need you to join us. Sign up now to get your own piece of the plot,” says Greenpeace on its website.

Greenpeace claims that if expansions go ahead, it will cause the largest single source of greenhouse gas emissions in the whole country.

Unions urge government to think fast

Unions are also pressuring the government to quickly make a decision, but their demands are for the potential job growth a 6th terminal and 3rd runway could mean.

“There can be no further delay in the modernisation of Heathrow, the UK's only international hub airport. Heathrow should be the jewel in our crown but it is falling behind world class standards,” urges Derek Simpson, Unite Joint General Secretary.

“Only modernisation at Heathrow will keep Britain on the global transport map and stop our cities and industries losing out to our competitors in Europe. Now of all times we need to seize the opportunities to create more jobs and preserve this country's status as a world-leading economy.”

Additionally, a joint press conference was held this week featuring the unions, the airlines as well as the airport operators to urge the government to think fast.  British Airways, BMI, the CBI, London First, London Chamber of Commerce, the TUC, GMB, Unite and BAA attended.

“Today, Heathrow operates at 99.7% capacity, reducing resilience when problems arise. The extra flexibility offered by mixed-mode and the third runway will enable Heathrow to match the reliability of its international competitors,” BAA has said previously.