The Mayor of London has welcomed news that the Davies Commission have decided to take forward an inner estuary hub airport to provide much needed new aviation capacity for the UK.
He believes the compelling logic of the interim report issued by the Davies Commission clearly shows that the Government now faces a straight choice between a horror option of expanding Heathrow, or building a new hub airport in the Thames Estuary.
Today (Tuesday) the Mayor agreed that his team will work alongside the Davies Commission with a view to providing further conclusive evidence that plans for an inner estuary airport should be taken forward.
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: "Howard Davies' recognition of the importance of a hub airport to the economy and his decision to include the option of a new hub in the inner estuary on the Isle of Grain is both sensible and pragmatic, and is welcome news for Londoners and for the future competitive needs of the UK population as a whole.
"It is clear that Gatwick is not being considered as a hub airport, meaning a second runway there would only provide temporary relief to Heathrow. And that means he has effectively told the Government it has two choices - proceed with the creation of a monstrous Heathrow, on a constrained site that won't solve our capacity crisis, but would inflict untold misery on hundreds of thousands more Londoners through the din of many more jet engines in parts of the capital and home counties that have not so far experienced it; or proceed with the construction of a new hub in the inner estuary that can be built for the same cost as a four runway Heathrow, and would bring new jobs, homes, and long term competitiveness.
"A new airport in the inner estuary is the only credible hub option left, and the only one that would uphold this country's claim to be the natural financial, commercial and economic capital of Europe. By keeping it on the table Davies is saying you have a choice - between a damaging u turn or a radical new vision for expansion. We will be fighting the former and hailing the latter, and I'd urge the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition to do the same."
A new hub airport at the Isle of Grain on the Hoo Peninsula in the inner estuary is close enough to London to provide smooth and fast access by public transport, yet ideally located so as to allow take-off and landing over water with impact on as small a population as possible. It would be close to the new DP World London Gateway Port and lay the foundation for a logistics heartland of the UK.
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