Byers considers new London runways

Three new runways may be built around London under proposals being considered by Transport Secretary Stephen Byers, it emerged today.

Ministers are considering the hugely controversial new plans to cope with an anticipated boost in demand for flights, despite a fall-off following the 11 September attacks.

They believe public demand for air travel will rise by five per cent a year, and say they must expand to cope with it or airlines will take their business elsewhere.

The new runways would be built at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted, although alternative options include building two at Stansted and one at Gatwick, or vice versa.

Another suggestion is that an entirely new airport would be built, possibly near the Thames estuary.

The most unpopular plan is that for Heathrow, where a planning inspector for the Terminal 5 inquiry said there was no room for a new strip. Despite protests, Mr Byers approved the T5 plan. A Whitehall source told the Financial Times: "One extra runway would not be enough. It is a question of jobs and the contribution of aviation to the economy, and there's a feeling that if you don't do something to meet demand, the demand will go elsewhere.

"The general feeling is that a very high proportion of demand should be satisfied by 2030."

While the proposals will be welcomed by many business and tourism groups, who fear jobs might be lost if flight demand is not catered for, they will be greeted with dismay by environmentalists and those living near the prospective new runways.

Government sources suggest Mr Byers is keen to toughen up his air transport policy after being won over by the argument that airport expansion is vital to accommodate the expected doubling of air traffic during the next 20 years. His concernsare believed to be shared by Transport Minister John Spellar, who is convinced that three new runways in the South-East are vital to help Britain retain its commercial importance in Europe.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions said the Secretary of State had been considering how to respond to the growing volume of air traffic, but said no decisions on the issue had yet been taken.

A consultation paper is expected to be published by the transport department this spring giving details of all the options, after which the Government is expected to support the new runways plan in a White Paper, due out before the end of the year.

More than 100 million passengers a year pass through the five main airports serving London - Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton and City. By 2015 demand is expected to rise to 184 million passengers - a figure the existing airports would not be able to manage.

The case for and against
Do we need more runways?
The options for the capital's airports
Byers to list new rail targets