Date revealed for when first flights could take off from Heathrow’s third runway
Rachel Reeves has set out an ambitious timeline for the first flights to leave from Heathrow’s much-delayed third runway.
The Chancellor announced yesterday that the government would back the plans first given the green light under Theresa May in 2016.
She insisted the process would not be kicked into the long grass again, with an outline expected from Heathrow bosses before the summer and ‘spades in the ground’ before the end of the current parliament in 2029.
Asked on BBC Breakfast when she believes planes will start taking off from the new runway, Reeves said: ‘I think we can get that done in a decade.’
After being given 2035 as a suggested target for the delivery date, she reiterated: ‘That is what we want to achieve and that is what Heathrow wants to achieve.’
However, not everyone believes it is possible to get through the entire complex process – which will almost certainly involve court challenges – in such a short timeframe.
At a press conference in London yesterday, Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary described the Chancellor’s announcement as a ‘dead cat’, referencing a tool supposedly used by politicians to distract from something more important.
He said: ‘If it ever arrives, it will be about 2040, 2045 or 2050, in fact long after I’ve departed from Ryanair. It will not deliver any growth.’
O’Leary argued that the best way to bring about growth would be to abolish air passenger duty, which was increased by Reeves in last year’s budget.
Meanwhile, Labour sources were cited in the Guardian saying the third runway may in fact never be built, due to the challenge of reconciling it with the government’s environmental targets.
Reeves has said the improvements in aircraft engines and sustainable aviation fuel in recent years means it will be possible to both push for expansion and meet those aims.
But there is scepticism over the viability of sustainable fuel options and whether they can be developed quickly enough to meet demand.
The operator of Luton Airport reacted to Reeves’ speech yesterday by pressing for a rapid decision on their own proposals.
Luton Rising chair Paul Kehoe pointed at the opportunity for the airport to play a role in another major scheme announced by the Chancellor – the ‘growth corridor’ between Oxford and Cambridge.
He said: ‘Here at London Luton Airport, we have a ready-to-go scheme that is primed to deliver an economic air-bridge for the Oxford-Cambridge growth corridor and contribute to the success of the country.’
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