Heathrow’s chief executive has spoken out about the “once in a generation” opportunity an expanded airport could bring to the whole of the UK.
John Holland-Kaye said a third runway at Heathrow could create an extra 180,000 jobs and warned chancellor George Osborne that increasing capacity at the west London hub is crucial for the country’s economy.
His comments come as Heathrow recorded a 2 per cent rise in passenger traffic for September compared to the same period last year.
This was helped by strong growth in traffic to emerging markets such as Mexico (+16.5% on last year), China (11.9%) and the Middle East (7.2%).
Holland-Kaye said: “With Heathrow expansion, we have a once in a generation opportunity to create 180,000 jobs and provide future generations with the sustainable infrastructure they’ll need to keep Britain at the heart of the global economy.
“The Chancellor called for Britain to build the new roads, railways and runways it needs to prosper. Heathrow is ready to build – let’s make it happen,” he added.
Last week, Heathrow published images of what the airport would like with a third runway.
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