Heathrow Airport boss: Third runway expansion 'can help British exporters’

Heathrow could double its cargo capacity with a third runway that would “help even more British exporters trade with all the growing markets of the world” in Brexit Britain, the airport’s boss has said.

John Holland-Kaye, the chief executive of Heathrow who yearns for expansion, also pointed out that, amid major uncertainty about the UK’s economy and job prospects in the aftermath of the EU referendum, “a £16 billion privately-funded infrastructure investment will create jobs and growth across the UK”.

“Our next Prime Minister has a real opportunity to secure Britain’s legacy as an outward-looking trading nation,” Holland-Kaye added. “A decision on Heathrow expansion must be at the top of her in-tray.”

It is now more than a year since Sir Howard Davies recommended Heathrow over Gatwick for expansion.

The comments came as Heathrow posted a 2.1% rise in cargo volumes in June, with most of the freight linked to China, India and Turkey. Strikes and bad weather put fliers off, though: passenger numbers fell 1.1% at 6.6 million during the month.