Increasing hub capacity in the South East is vital in ensuring
Britain has the global connectivity needed to support future
growth. The global landscape has changed since the last Airports
Commission submission, with major new hub airports being built
and planned in Istanbul, Doha, Dubai, Beijing and Mexico City. By
2050 these next generation airports will deliver increased capacity
– in order to maintain global hub status, Britain needs to comp
24-hour Operations
Heathrow is simply in the wrong place, subjecting
millions of Londoners to unacceptable levels of
noise, pollution and risk – more than one million
people will be within Heathrow’s noise contour. To
compete, the country’s hub airport must be able to
operate 24-hours a day and this is only possible in
the Thames Estuary. The Thames Hub Airport has
been developed since the original submission
to create a more flexible layout, which further
minimises aviation noise.
New Homes, New Jobs
There is rising demand for new homes and jobs, in
line with population growth – London is growing 20%
in the next 20 years and the thrust of development
is to the east. The new airport can balance the
economies of east and west London, unlocking sites
for housing in the east and developing brownfield
land rather than green belt. To the west, Heathrow
is unlocked as a redevelopment site the size of an
inner London borough.