News: BA boss calls for third runway at Heathrow
Flights > News > # 1586 (21/11/2007)
British Airways chief executive, Willie Walsh, has said that Heathrow airport would be able to add 75 new destinations if a third runway was built.
Walsh saiad: “The fact is that Heathrow's global reach is shrinking. In a globalised economy, you cannot be an elite business centre unless you have the highest-quality air- transport links to the rest of the world.''
Constraints at Heathrow, the world’s busiest international airport, mean the number of cities served has shrunk to 180 from 227 in 1990. Meanwhile, continental European hubs have grown, with Frankfurt offering 265 destinations and Amsterdam 260.
The Government is expected to start a public consultation on building a third runway. Heathrow is currently operating at 99 percent of its permitted flight capacity and attracting 68 million travelers annually to buildings designed for 45 million.
Walsh added: “There has been relentless criticism of the state of the airport, from the condition of the toilets to delays in security processing, to non-working escalators and the length of treks from aircraft gate to arrivals hall.
“The truth is that Heathrow has been struggling for a long time.''
With only two runways, the number of locations served will fall to 150 by 2015 as airlines use scarce takeoff and landing slots to focus on the most profitable routes, Walsh said. Frankfurt has three runways with a fourth under construction. Paris already has four and Amsterdam has five, he said.
Walsh said Heathrow would have no more than half the network provided by competitor European hubs, adding: “In these conditions, it is inconceivable that London would remain the world's business capital. We would see a steady exodus of companies relocating abroad.”
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