The Heavy Price of Air Travel

Written by Graham Tope on Thu 8th Aug 2002

Catching a plane has, for most of us, become a regular occurrence, whether we are flying off for a few weeks in the sun or to conduct business in a far-flung corner of the globe. Already 180 million passengers use UK airports and this is expected to rise to 500 million by 2030. But our airports are ill-equipped to deal with this predicted growth.

The Government recently announced proposals that threaten to tarmac over south-east England with airport runways. The options are either a third runway for Heathrow, up to four for Stansted or a brand new airport in Cliffe, Kent.

Even if you don't live under a flight path and do not suffer the misery of air and noise pollution, the growth in airports in the south-east could be bad news. More than 10,000 homes may have to be demolished around Heathrow if a new runway is built, for example, and where would these households be relocated to when London already has a housing shortage?

Some 2 million people are already affected by Heathrow's two runways, and the London Assembly Liberal Democrats have urged the Mayor of London to oppose any future expansion of the airport. We reminded him during a recent Mayor's Question Time that the Terminal Five inquiry inspector said 'a third main runway at Heathrow would have such severe and widespread impacts on the environment as to be totally unacceptable' and limited flight numbers as part of the planning consent. The Government accepted this report when it was published, but is now proposing to ignore the inspector's warnings.

There are other answers to the lack of air transport capacity besides building in residential areas or causing significant environmental damage, such as that threatened by a new airport in Cliffe. The Mayor is looking at a scheme to build an airport on an artificial island in the Thames Estuary. The airport could handle up to 160 million passengers a year, more than the total capacity of London's airports, sparing millions of residents from noise and disturbance. And unlike the proposed Cliffe airport, it would not destroy marshland or birdlife.

Kent International airport at Manston near Ramsgate also has real potential, and existing rail lines could be upgraded to connect with the Channel Tunnel rail link and bring air passengers rapidly into St Pancras.

There is no denying that there is a need for airport growth, but it should be part of a fully integrated and environmentally responsible public transport policy. Fast rail links should be promoted as an alternative to air travel within the UK and to western Europe, and there needs to be greater use of regional airports to reduce the pressure on the south-east.

Air travel has bought many benefits but its continued popularity could come with a heavy price for the south-east.