"Just when you feared indecision was final over expansion at Gatwick airport, here comes an actual piece of policymaking: Heidi Alexander, the transport secretary, has given a thumbs-up to a second runway. Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, followed up by landing an Airbus A320 in a flight simulator in West Sussex. Assuming legal challenges are overcome, it is possible to believe the new runway will be operational by 2030. Give thanks that the holding pattern is finally over."
"Few proposed infrastructure projects capture the UK's inability to get on with the job quite like Gatwick. The airport has been arguing for expansion for more than a decade on the grounds that it is approaching full capacity and the spadework is relatively easy shifting an emergency runway 12 metres north to allow it to be used as part of normal operations."
The transport secretary has approved a second runway at Gatwick and the chancellor staged a symbolic A320 simulator landing. Legal challenges could delay progress, but the runway could be operational by 2030. Gatwick has sought expansion for more than a decade because the airport nears full capacity and the main engineering change involves shifting an emergency runway 12 metres north. Airport expansion raises issues of noise, pollution and national carbon budgets. Gatwick prices the project at 2.2bn, far less than the recent 50bn estimate for a Heathrow third runway and associated facilities.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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