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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/jun/25/gatwick-second-runway-heathrow-expansion
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| Gatwick second runway 'more feasible' than Heathrow expansion | Gatwick second runway 'more feasible' than Heathrow expansion |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| An increasingly confident Gatwick is to tell the Airports Commission that its proposed second runway is the only major expansion that would be politically feasible to deliver in the south-east. | An increasingly confident Gatwick is to tell the Airports Commission that its proposed second runway is the only major expansion that would be politically feasible to deliver in the south-east. |
| The chief executive, Stewart Wingate, contrasted the expense of a new hub airport, and the population affected by noise and pollution at Heathrow, with a solution he said offered certainty of delivery. | The chief executive, Stewart Wingate, contrasted the expense of a new hub airport, and the population affected by noise and pollution at Heathrow, with a solution he said offered certainty of delivery. |
| The Gatwick "constellation" vision – three two-runway airports around London, including an eventual second runway at Stansted – would benefit passengers through competition, rather than "recreating the Heathrow monopoly", he said. "That distributes the benefits as well as the environmental impact." | The Gatwick "constellation" vision – three two-runway airports around London, including an eventual second runway at Stansted – would benefit passengers through competition, rather than "recreating the Heathrow monopoly", he said. "That distributes the benefits as well as the environmental impact." |
| Wingate said an estuary hub would not happen, and said of another Heathrow runway: "We just don't think it's deliverable." He added that the noise and pollution from Heathrow already affected more people than the rest of Europe's hub airports put together. | |
| "We're to the south – we've got a noise footprint smaller than Glasgow in terms of people affected," he said. | |
| Gatwick last year announced plans for a second runway, which it wants to start building in 2019, allowing the airport to technically honour an agreement with the local council not to seek further expansion after permission was granted for its latest terminal. | Gatwick last year announced plans for a second runway, which it wants to start building in 2019, allowing the airport to technically honour an agreement with the local council not to seek further expansion after permission was granted for its latest terminal. |
| Wingate said: "Times have really changed. I don't think people are necessarily looking at expansion of Gatwick as a bad thing." | Wingate said: "Times have really changed. I don't think people are necessarily looking at expansion of Gatwick as a bad thing." |
| He conceded that there would be protests, but added: "You need to put some numbers around the people impacted by Heathrow compared to Gatwick – 250,000 compared to 3,000" within the airports' respective 57-decibel noise footprint. | He conceded that there would be protests, but added: "You need to put some numbers around the people impacted by Heathrow compared to Gatwick – 250,000 compared to 3,000" within the airports' respective 57-decibel noise footprint. |
| The deadline for submissions to the Airports Commission led by Howard Davies is next month. The level of growth means capacity at the West Sussex airport will not be reached for some time, and aviation orthodoxy is that Gatwick would not provide the additional "hub" capacity the industry seeks in the UK. Gatwick has attracted some long-haul airlines from Asia in the past year, but most in the industry argue that transfer passengers are essential to underpin many routes. | The deadline for submissions to the Airports Commission led by Howard Davies is next month. The level of growth means capacity at the West Sussex airport will not be reached for some time, and aviation orthodoxy is that Gatwick would not provide the additional "hub" capacity the industry seeks in the UK. Gatwick has attracted some long-haul airlines from Asia in the past year, but most in the industry argue that transfer passengers are essential to underpin many routes. |
| But Wingate said: "We're a world city – people want to come to London: 90% are originating or ending here. Only 10% are transfers." Gatwick said it would be submitting evidence that London could support a network of airports rather than one sole hub. | But Wingate said: "We're a world city – people want to come to London: 90% are originating or ending here. Only 10% are transfers." Gatwick said it would be submitting evidence that London could support a network of airports rather than one sole hub. |
| Gatwick is meanwhile cutting the level of landing charges it wishes to impose on airlines, after the CAA rejected its proposed large increases. Instead, the airport proposes to lower the overall cap to inflation plus 1.5% while seeking "bilateral agreements" with individual airlines. It argues that the breakup of the former BAA's ownership of the major London airports makes traditional regulation outmoded. | Gatwick is meanwhile cutting the level of landing charges it wishes to impose on airlines, after the CAA rejected its proposed large increases. Instead, the airport proposes to lower the overall cap to inflation plus 1.5% while seeking "bilateral agreements" with individual airlines. It argues that the breakup of the former BAA's ownership of the major London airports makes traditional regulation outmoded. |
| Wingate said: "We'd argue that we've brought service levels that passengers have never seen before at Gatwick. Passengers can't miss the improvements from the £1bn of investment." | Wingate said: "We'd argue that we've brought service levels that passengers have never seen before at Gatwick. Passengers can't miss the improvements from the £1bn of investment." |
| Gatwick announced losses of £29.1m for 2012-13, narrowing slightly from the previous year. Passenger numbers grew 1.2%, and turnover increased by 4.2% to £538.9m, with new retail developments pushing up income per passenger. | Gatwick announced losses of £29.1m for 2012-13, narrowing slightly from the previous year. Passenger numbers grew 1.2%, and turnover increased by 4.2% to £538.9m, with new retail developments pushing up income per passenger. |