Designs for a new hub airport in the Thames estuary, dubbed Boris Island after London mayor Boris Johnson, have been revealed.
The six-runway facility, which is officially known as London Britannia Airport, could be built within seven years (after securing necessary permissions) at a cost of £47 billion, according to Thames Estuary Research & Development Company (Testrad).
Bridget Rosewell, CEO of Testrad, said: “The new London Britannia Airport concept plan gives London the airport it will need to support its world city status into the 21st century.
“It also provides a solution to the challenge of incorporating London’s expected growth in population of 2 million and a facility which can be linked to the whole of the UK while both the east and west of London will each benefit from regeneration.”
Telstrad added that passengers would be able to get to the new airport through existing high-speed rail links, a one-stop extension to the Crossrail project and a direct dedicated rail link to Waterloo in central London.
Building a new airport in the Thames estuary has been championed by London mayor Johnson over the last few years as an alternative to building a third runway at Heathrow.
The Airports Commission, chaired by former CBI boss Sir Howard Davies, is currently looking at the issue of whether the UK needs more hub capacity and will also present a shortlist of expansion options by the end of this year.
Although a final recommendation will not be made until after the next general election in the summer of 2015.
testrad.co.uk