UK: Heathrow seeks cheaper third-runway plan with phased expansion

London Heathrow could scrap plans for new terminal buildings serving its GBP16b (US$21b) third runway in favour of a phased expansion of existing infrastructure adding “5m passengers at a time,” according to CE John Holland-Kaye. The proposal would see incremental growth at Terminals 5 and 2, currently used by BA and Star Alliance carriers respectively, saving “several billion pounds” by doing away with new tunnels, passenger transportation and baggage systems, Holland-Kaye said Thursday. “It also means we can add capacity in smaller chunks, rather than building a whole new terminal for 20m or 30m passengers in one go,” he said. That way demand from airlines can be better matched to supply. Heathrow plans to fund a third runway from the private sector while keep landing charges close to current levels. <br/>