GATWICK Airport is set be given the green light for a £2.2 billion expansion – paving the way for 100,000 extra flights a year.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander all but confirmed the approval, insisting the move is essential to boost the economy.
Gatwick Airport[/caption]
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander[/caption]
She told an industry event she had no intention of “clipping anyone’s wings”, adding: “I am not some sort of flight-shaming eco-warrior. I love flying, I always have.”
The Cabinet Minister also argued the Government’s plan for change depended on “aviation’s success”.
She went on: “But that growth depends on us running as fast as we can towards cleaner aviation… For us here tonight, that means running hell for leather towards greener and quieter flights.
“I therefore see both decarbonisation and modernisation, above all, as a moral mission.”
The £2.2 billion project would see Gatwick’s northern runway shifted 12 metres further north, allowing it to operate alongside the main runway.
Ministers insist the expansion must align with climate targets, but believe quieter aircraft and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) will help cut emissions.
But green campaigners blasted the decision as “unbelievable”, with activists warning of a legal battle over noise, pollution, and pressure on local infrastructure.
The Sussex airport could handle an additional 100,000 flights per year if the Government waves through its development consent order.
The official sign-off is expected before tomorrow afternoon.
Regulators have also backed Gatwick’s expansion, with the Civil Aviation Authority saying there could be “benefits to consumers” of expansion at the country’s second-busiest airport.
In a statement the aviation regulator said: “Gatwick’s airline and passenger base is significantly different from that using Heathrow and we remain of the view that there are likely to be benefits to consumers in expanding capacity in Gatwick”.
These benefits, it said, would include “meeting the demands of passengers in the choice of destinations, enhanced competitive pressure on airlines and the greater resilience of airport infrastructure”.
It comes as Labour also backs a third runway at Heathrow, which would see 700 homes flattened and the M25 rerouted.
Meanwhile, ministers must decide by April 3 whether to approve Luton Airport’s expansion from 19 to 32 million passengers.
