South-East needs new runway, insists No 10’s aviation chief

The Government’s airports supremo today backed at least one new runway in the South-East as vital to meet Britain’s future aviation needs.

But the move by Sir Howard Davies, who chairs the Government-appointed Airports Commission, will inevitably put himself at odds with environmentalists and local residents’ campaign.

Sir Howard said the region’s airports would fail to cope with rising passenger demand over the coming decades unless ministers give the go-ahead to boost capacity. In a blow to Birmingham and Manchester’s ambitions, Sir Howard said that shifting flights to regional airports was unlikely to be the solution as they predominantly served local markets and could not absorb London’s excess demand.

His remarks came in a speech in London today to give an update from his aviation commission ahead of its interim report in December when it will publish a shortlist of recommended sites for new runways. His final recommendations will be published by the summer of 2015, after the general election. He said: “To rely only on runways currently in operation would be likely to produce a distinctly sub-optimal solution for passengers, connectivity and the economy...”

Sir Howard also argued a new runway could be built without breaching climate change targets. He stressed that airport expansion and tackling global warming were not “irreconcilable goals”.

Set up a year ago, one of the commission’s task was to ascertain whether there was enough excess capacity to avoid having to build a new runway.

Commission experts have taken into account forecast demand from passengers and freight and need to offer a range of flights, including those to emerging markets deemed important to the UK economy.

Its conclusion comes after a London Assembly report which said London airports such as Stansted and Luton were under capacity and urged the commission to look at improved transport links to airports before they recommended any new runway.

Sir Howard’s announcement sets the scene for a looming with environmentalists and campaign groups in the years ahead.