Heathrow stepped up its campaign for a third runway today as a source at the airport claimed “the stars are lining up for us now”.
Chief executive John Holland-Kaye urged the Government to “get on with expanding Heathrow” as his senior team prepared to lobby new MPs after the General Election. A series of developments could swing the battle for another runway towards Heathrow:
The Tories’ majority in the Commons appears to have broken a potential deadlock, if there had been another coalition government, on airport expansion. Chancellor George Osborne is believed to favour a bigger Heathrow.
One of Gatwick’s key arguments was that its plans for a second runway were politically deliverable, in contrast to Heathrow’s proposals which were opposed by the Liberal Democrats — but the Lib-Dems now have just eight MPs. Former business secretary Vince Cable, a leading critic of a bigger Heathrow, lost his Twickenham seat.
The new Labour leadership, with Chuka Umunna as a frontrunner to lead the party, is expected to be more open to a third runway than Ed Miliband and his deputy Harriet Harman.
Even if some Tory MPs revolted against a third runway, the Government is likely to be able to get it through the Commons with the backing of SNP and DUP MPs.
The Airports Commission is believed by anti-Heathrow expansion campaigners to be on the verge of concluding that pollution problems at Heathrow can be overcome — though they challenged this verdict.
Heathrow has been plastering the Tube entrance outside Westminster with new posters making its case. The source at the airport said: “I think the stars are lining up for us now. A majority government makes it better for us. A Tory one is probably the best out of the two.”
Sir Howard Davies, who chairs the Airports Commission, is due to deliver its final report within weeks, and has concluded that fewer people would be affected by a Heathrow with three runways than currently are, as quieter planes come on stream.
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Campaigners against a bigger Heathrow now believe Tory “Big Beasts” led by Mayor Boris Johnson are their main hope of stopping the government approving a third runway if it is recommended by Sir Howard. John Stewart, chairman of campaign group HACAN, called on Theresa May, Justine Greening, Zac Goldsmith, Philip Hammond and Theresa Villiers to speak out.
Mr Johnson trumpeted his opposition to a third runway after being elected MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip.
Mr Stewart also warned the Commission not to try to “fudge” its findings on air quality, by arguing that mitigation measures which have yet been scrutinised could reduce pollution within EU limits.
Gatwick chief executive Stewart Wingate said: “No Conservative government will want to promote a scheme that increases costs to passengers, decreases competition in the sector, puts billions of pounds of public money at risk in support of the highest priced supplier of airport capacity in the world, and all at an unacceptable and probably unlawful environmental impact.”
