[Inquisitive]

Finally Heathrow is getting 3rd runway.
Personally I would have prefer a 2nd runway for Gatwick and fast train connections between airports and high population towns/cities instead.

2 users thanked author for this post.

Woodpecker, PeterCoultas

[DavidSmith2]

I think ‘finally’ may be a little optimistic. This judgment just means they can proceed with the planning application. Plenty more hurdles to overcome yet.

[AMcWhirter]

[quote quote=1056444]Finally Heathrow is getting 3rd runway.[/quote]

Somewhat optimistic.

[Johnnyg]

If the T5 planning application is anything to go by there will be further delays after the inevitable planning enquiry and significant rise in costs. I agree with Inquisitive that a better option is a second runway at Gatwick.

1 user thanked author for this post.

PeterCoultas

[NorskSaint]

As reported they’ll go for a Development Consent Order (DCO) rather than a local planning application. That should in theory speed the process up and was designed for these types of large scale developments. However that means the Government of the day will decide on it, and lets be honest this is a political hot potato…. no chance it will be decided anytime soon.

The UK really has to be one of the most challenging places for planning applications.

[transtraxman]

If you can look as far back as 2018 and 2019 you will remember that Heathrow was running at full capacity.If there were any interruption to the cycle of landings and take-offs then the knock-on effect was tremedous, disturbing all airlines schedules throughout the day. If there were an incident such as a crash(or bad landing needing evacuation) then the knock-on effect could be longer. Gatwick was operating at more than full capacity which meant the taxiway was brought into use as a second runway. I cannot think of a stronger reason to construct a second runway there.

Here is an opportunity to get ahead of the problem before it arises. It might well be true that airline traffic will take two, three or even four years to get back to something like “normal”. So if the third runway at Heathrow and the second at Gatwick were built, or at least started, then we will be on the road to solving the problem (lack of capacity) before it comes back to us. In fact if you separate the building of the runways from the building of the terminals then the construction (and costs) can be staggered over time, and be operative earlier. So the way forward is to build the third runway as soon as possible at Heathrow and the second at Gatwick without delay.

3 users thanked author for this post.

Woodpecker, tomwjsimpson, canucklad

[canucklad]

[quote quote=1061982]So the way forward is to build the third runway as soon as possible at Heathrow and the second at Gatwick without delay.[/quote]

Sadly, I fear that the anti aviation lobby will be buoyed by covid and regale in its success at damaging airlines in a way that they so far haven’t been able to do.
I’d be surprised if any runway is built anywhere in the UK this side of 2030 , An opportunity to compete with AMS, CFG, FRA et al in a post Brexit world yet again be wasted.

[FaroFlyer]

[postquote quote=1059325][/postquote]

I seem to recall that Doris promised to lie in front of the bulldozers, rather than allow a third runway. Perhaps the bulldozers can move him to the ditch he would rather be dead in.

I agree about Gatwick, and would also suggest a train link from LGW > LHR and LHR > BHX

[transtraxman]

Canucklad #1075219:
You might well be right but that does not mean that one should give up on what one believes in wholeheartedly.

FaroFlyer #1075425:
A second runway at Gatwick ia absolutely essential even without the terminal building, not least for safety reasons.

Another thing you mention is a rail link from Gatwick to Heathrow and on to Reading and Birmingham. You did not add the possibility of linking up from Gatwick to the Channel Tunnel. This would really open up the possibility of rail services from South Wales/Bristol or Birmingham to Europe. More realistically would be from Reading.
With the permission of BT I would like to refer you to an article (one of several) I wrote for my blogg trans-trax.blogspot.com (24 Feb. 2010)
Fast Trax 2 – The case for a southern high speed alternative (SHSL) (24 Feb.2010)

https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/3486312385431657708/411575331317811110

Such a line would be music to the ears of environmentalists.

[Andrew]

I don’t get the logic behind an inter-airport railway. If I have to change terminals it’s a pain: having to change airports would be a whole order of magnitude greater. As far as I know, the only place where it’s really necessary is LaGuardia and JFK, because of the nature of their traffic.
Fight for HS2 to Heathrow instead!

[BackOfThePlane]

Merry Xmas to everyone.

Personally, I think the case for a 3rd runway at Heathrow is overwhelming. It is the only hub airport in the UK and, if capacity allowed, would already be handling circa 125 – 150 million pax annually. Gatwick is fine for long haul leisure and short haul point to point. Many of the airlines / routes based at Gatwick (and I’m referencing pre Covid here) are only there because they can’t get into Heathrow.

I also agree that connecting Heathrow to HS2 makes sense although I’m not sure who would pay for it. They have already spent years simply discussing linking Heathrow to the Great Western intercity line near Reading as well as to the commuter lines near Staines. Everyone agrees that both a good idea but nobody wants to pay for it.

Regards linking Heathrow and Gatwick by train, I would say that numbers on the route would be fairly minimal and certainly wouldn’t justify the huge cost. Opportunity cost and all that.

With regards linking Gatwick to HS1 (and therefore to Europe) I definitely can’t see any point in that. Again, it would be hugely expensive and I can’t envisage who would use it? The majority of traffic to Gatwick is point-to-point, shorthaul so why fly into Gatwick and then get on a train to Brussels or Paris? Similarly, longhaul passengers can simply fly direct to and from Paris & Brussels – why get the train from Gatwick?

[Davethepubsinger]

Firstly, a happy new year to all.

Now, I’m certain I’ve asked this question before, but why can’t RAF Northolt be used as an alternative? It was used before LHR was opened. It was even considered in Parliament in the 1960’s. The central line could be extended from West Ruislip to provide a connection to central London.

[BackOfThePlane]

How would that work then….?

[Maaki]

“The UK really has to be one of the most challenging places for planning applications.”

Well, than you have not seen any German planning process ;-).
Meanwhile (since about 20 years) it takes years to decades (no joking!) to plan a motorway exit, a new train line etc.
Well, “at least” (after the chaos and the total failure of local government with the Berlin airport) no new airport will be built in Germany for the next 50 years.
But we will definitely take care of the green-red diamond frog (or so) and disregard any human needs…

[GivingupBA]

Davethepubsinger said “….why can’t RAF Northolt be used as an alternative?”

Thank you for your suggestion, but I see at least two drawbacks there. First, The RAF Northolt runway length is reportedly 1,684 metres (5,525 feet) – short. Second, the huge amount of connecting traffic at Heathrow would not be catered for.

[Author]

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