The report also focuses on connectivity, highlighting that Europe is ideally placed as a hub for the major cities of the world – with 94% of global GDP produced within a 13 hour flight of London. Currently the UK is falling behind its local competitors thanks to airports in Paris, Amsterdam and Frankfurt, but the report predicts that the new airport could comfortably cater for 167 million people a year, far higher than the predicted capacity for a three-runway Heathrow which could cater for 130 million – a calculation which the report claims is based on running at an unsustainable 98% capacity.
Furthermore the report highlights the proposed airport’s proximity to major transport connections, with only a short railway spur required to connect it to the high-speed channel-crossing HS1 railway, as well as local and regional railways. The travel time to central London by train is predicted at 26 minutes.