UK: Heathrow rivals woo airlines as expansion plan languishes

The UK transport secretary’s warning was blunt: if Britain did not increase its airport infrastructure in south-east England, it would cost the country GBP20b over 60 years in “delays, fewer flights and passengers having to fly from airports elsewhere”. Chris Grayling used these figures in parliament in 2016 to justify the govt swinging behind plans for a third runway at London Heathrow, which is operating at close to full capacity. There were 476,000 flights in and out of the hub last year, but Heathrow Airport Holdings is struggling to increase that number significantly on its existing 2 runways. And with the third runway plans shrouded in uncertainty, smaller airports around London are seeking to woo airlines that might otherwise have expanded their operations at Heathrow or used it for the first time. <br/>