Stansted Not Shortlisted For Expansion

[Steve]

The Airports Commission has shortlisted explansion at Heathrow and Gatwick in it's interim report published today.

Stop Stansted Expansion has release the following statement.

http://www.stopstanstedexpansion.com/press471.html

The earliest a second runway might now be considered is 2050.

[mb1]

This makes sense. They need to go up 7 million passengers per year just to get back to the volume they were handling a decade ago. The airport has plans to try to attract about 6m passengers per year from this area for long haul flights, which again can be achieved with no expansion of the airport. So, no expansion does not mean no extra flights.

[Steve]

So, no expansion does not mean no extra flights.

Extra flights compared to when? Now or 6 years ago when movements peaked? Even a 50% increase in movements would only take it back up to 2007 levels.

[mb1]

That No expansion statement says the airport is operating at half capacity, so there could be and will be at some point, significantly more flights than when they reached their previous peak use. Don;t forget that they have new owners with a stated intention of competing to remove flights from Heathrow and Gatwick to here. They estimate 6m long haul flights per year are made by people in this area who would prefer Stansted to its competitors and that does include me. I'm torn about it, but am glad that there won;t be another runway and attendant growth.