Political fix for Gatwick expansion, claims Mayor

A “political fix” is putting Gatwick in pole position for a new runway, Boris Johnson claimed as he appealed to the aviation commission to instead back his plan for a Thames estuary airport to meet growing demand.

The mayor said it was time to stop “making do” by expanding existing airports and he added: “We must ensure that the final outcome is not one that future generations will regret.”

He claimed that the Government was edging towards giving Gatwick the go-ahead for another runway, saying there was “a political fix around Gatwick”.

“A lot of money is moving off Heathrow and on to Gatwick. Heathrow is closer to the answer, but not deliverable. Gatwick is more deliverable, but it is not the right answer.” He said, expanding Gatwick was “a sham, a snare, a delusion”. The estuary plan, dubbed “Boris Island”, would cost £25 billion to build, with a further £25 billion for transport infrastructure, and £14 billion to purchase and close Heathrow, which would be redeveloped as a new suburb.

The Thames estuary case focuses on London’s forecast growth — to 11.3 million people by 2050 — and the additional jobs and homes that moving the hub airport could produce.

The team claims the new hub would generate £7 billion a year in economic benefits and would be commercially viable with a relatively modest increase in landing charges — rejecting the Airports Commission’s estimates that the cost of building in the Thames estuary would mean landing charges would be three times more than at Heathrow, driving up fares.