Heathrow expansion

[hampshirebrightonboy]

A bit like the manky outdated municipal bus depot equivalent that is Heathrow you mean?

You might not like it but it has far and away more demand than any airport in the UK. Nowhere comes close

 

[ManOfSussex]

The hippies are going to be outraged.

https://twitter.com/CarolineLucas/status/790880167791067137

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

It's MILES from ANYWHERE too.

Probably won't be in fifteen years time tho eh, which is about the timescale for the Heathrow BS to run its course.

 

[GT49er]

And an airport nobody would want to travel from

Just out of interest, what would be wrong with developing Manston - and why, if properly developed, would no-one want to fly from there?


Must say the amount of destruction involved in expanding Heathrow does make it seem a controversial choice.

 

[GT49er]

You might not like it but it has far and away more demand than any airport in the UK. Nowhere comes close

Probably because it has more flights to catch................

 

[jakarta]

Just out of interest, what would be w1rong with developing Manston - and why, if properly developed, would no-one want to fly from there?

Because it is on the Kent Coast and closer to Calais than to London?

 

[mikeyjh]

A bit more knowledge to add: Gatwick actually has TWO runways!! But for operational reasons the second runway can only be used when the main runway is out of use. At other times it is used as a taxi way to the main runway.

It's always irritated me, this 'claim to fame' which is entirely untrue!

 

[BensGrandad]

Just out of interest, what would be w1rong with developing Manston - and why, if properly developed, would no-one want to fly from there?


Must say the amount of destruction involved in expanding Heathrow does make it seem a controversial choice.

Perhaps it could have taken one of heathrow terminals and flights completely like perhaps Europe thus leaving air space for longer flights. Would people travel to Manston for a flight to Paris or Belgium? The problem is probably the number of companies operating these flights it would probably only work if you took a complete company like Easy Jet and all of their flights to free up space at other airports.

 

[BLOCK F]

The hippies are going to be outraged.

Good; and Zac Goldsmith can do one as well.

 

[GT49er]

Because it is on the Kent Coast and closer to Calais than to London?

So?

 

[hampshirebrightonboy]

Probably because it has more flights to catch................

Yes because the airlines can increase frequency because of the demand

 

[nicko31]

Its seems a long time ago Dave C said the Tories were going to be the greenest government ever.

Gotta love the wayback when machine...

https://web.archive.org/web/2013010...praise-theresa-for-her-work-on-climate-change

"I will continue to put pressure on the Government over the third runway at Heathrow as an extra 222,000 flights a year would undermine our national targets and seriously damage the health of the local community.”

Another u turn

 

[clippedgull]

It's always irritated me, this 'claim to fame' which is entirely untrue!

Sorry I'm confused!! What are you referring to specifically?

 

[gullshark]

It's always irritated me, this 'claim to fame' which is entirely untrue!

But it is true? from Wiki... (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gatwick_Airport#Flight_movements)

Gatwick operates as a single-runway airport although it has two runways; the northern runway (08L/26R) can only be used when the main runway (08R/26L) is out of use for any reason.

 

[Leekbrookgull]

(Ex-RAF) Manston Airport in Kent would have been an imaginative alternative. Very long runway, loads of undeveloped space, huge number of potential new and local jobs. Might also have seen off the chancers who want to develop the airport for non-airport use and a quick buck.

That is a good call.

 

[wellquickwoody]

Seems crazy to have only one true international hub with 5 terminals (currently) and three runways. One terrorist attack could take out the one hub AND the M25 going underneath it effectively paralysing the south east for years. Gatwick would be cheaper, quicker and offer more flexibility in the long term.

 

[mikeyjh]

But it is true? from Wiki... (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gatwick_Airport#Flight_movements)

Gatwick operates as a single-runway airport although it has two runways; the northern runway (08L/26R) can only be used when the main runway (08R/26L) is out of use for any reason.

It operates a single runway, it doesn't have a single runway though. I know, it's pedantry but there you go

 

[mikeyjh]

Parking the fact that Gatwick is handy for us, why on earth are they not looking at Brum, Luton etc... I'm sure it's been debated but the obsession with LHR and LGW is mad

 

[beorhthelm]

Just out of interest, what would be wrong with developing Manston - and why, if properly developed, would no-one want to fly from there?

no infrastructure to get to and from it. you'd be looking at a brand new fast rail link or as spur off the current rail for a 1-1:30 hour plus journey time from London. and then dualing a number of roads to get any decent capacity into it. then building a town to house all the workers (one reason why Boris island was such a non-starter). at least Heathrow and Gatwick have main infrastructure in place albeit in need of upgrading.

 

[jakarta]

So?

Because getting there is a complete pain in the arse, I can say that without fear or favour as I spend an awful lot of my working life travelling into deepest Kent and it is a good 20 minutes past Canterbury so probably the best part of a 2 hour drive out of London and has NO Railway Station.

No doubt transport links could be eventually sorted but it would be much, much easier to go for Gatwick or Heathrow.

BTW I do not know why no-one has considered RAF Northolt as Heathrow's third runway (the RAF will be leaving very soon) with a high speed rail link between the two sites?