UK: Heathrow's third runway will mean 'more domestic airport links'

Building a third runway at Heathrow will allow more connecting flights with other UK airports, Transport secretary Chris Grayling has said. He told the Commons that 6 regional airports could be added to the Heathrow hub network, bringing the total to 14. The new airports are thought to be Belfast, Liverpool, Newquay, Prestwick Humberside, and Durham Tees Valley. His comments came as he launched a public consultation on a new runway, unlikely to be operational until 2025. Grayling said that a third runway would generate tens of thousands of jobs, and be a major boost to the economy as Britain prepares to leave the EU. The cost of a third runway is estimated to be GBP22b. An additional 260,000 take-offs or landings would be permitted each year from the expanded airport, on top of the current cap of 480,000. <br/>