COMMENT: Future Heathrow + The Olympics
As previewed in the previous ABTN the Future Heathrow group launched itself with an impressive gathering at the CBI last Monday. The top table consisted of Alistair Darling, secretary of state for transport, who explained in very simple terms the government”s view; Nigel Bourne, CBI director for London; Frances O”Grady, TUC deputy general secretary; Colin Standbridge, chief executive London Chamber of Commerce and Clive Soley, the former west London MP, who is to head the new organisation. The front row of a very distinguished audience included Lord Marshal in his position as chairman of VisitBritain, Rod Eddington, Sir Michael Bishop and Steve Ridgeway, MD of Virgin Atlantic, all together and all talking to each other.
http://www.futureheathrow.org
This mention of Heathrow does allow ABTN to raise a topic that has nothing to do with the occasion but is newsworthy and worth airing. In all the, mainly excellent, promotions for the 2012 Olympics, there appears to have been little or no emphasis on T5, now very visible and a vital part of the whole concept. London 2012 tells us it is up to the BAA, and the BAA says nothing. Win or lose the contest here is a glorious opportunity to tell the 700 journalists from 70 countries who are members of the Foreign Press Association (FPA) in London, that we are building the world”s finest airport terminal and that it will definitely be up and running in 2012. Let them spread the gospel in their own countries and perhaps help sway the vote. They are all desperate for news stories to show those back home. The FPA is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the overseas media, based in London. It is still not too late.
In a sense ”Future Heathrow” replaces Freedom to Fly the airline industry again focussing on the next 30 years, but this time on a single airport issue. Brenda Dean (Baroness Dean of Thornton-le-Fylde) who did a fine job with the previous lobbying effort was in the audience at the CBI. Heathrow desperately needs a third runway, and as quickly as possible. For their economic future the regions of the country need flight services into the world”s most important international airport. bmi is to be applauded in returning Inverness to the fold, but the Channel Islands are screaming out for connections, as is Cornwall and Devon, the East Midlands and Carlisle and Norwich, both cut off from the mainstream of the British economic community. Heathrow is still stands proudly the centre of the world”s airline industry. It feeds London and our capital city remains as the economic hub of the world. But the question, raised, and spoken about from the platform and during informal discussions, was for how long?
”Future Heathrow” strongly supports the third runway, measures to increase capacity in the short term including Mixed Mode operations and the work on the Sustainable Development of Heathrow which will help deliver the means to meet EU limits on local air quality. Like the new lobbying body. It is against cross-subsidisation. ABTN believes that a strong action group such as ”Future Heathrow”, combining all the various aspects of the airport, is the way forward. ABTN also would like to state that the efficiency of the airport is a major factor in its future, not just an increase in passengers per aircraft (essential in our view) but the whole way that the operation is handled. The airlines and the authorities have been pretty good in sorting out that aspect in the air but the BAA needs to focus perhaps a little more on what is happening on the ground, and a little less on bottom line profit. Perhaps the country relied on what the North Sea produced for to long and did not look ahead in terms of energy. London”s major airport must not be allowed to decline. ”Future Heathrow” timing is excellent.
http://www.futureheathrow.org