Government must finalise its London aviation policy, expert warns

“We will explore all the options for maintaining the UK's aviation hub status, with the exception of a third runway at Heathrow,” Chancellor George Osborne said yesterday in the Autumn Statement (98-page / 3MB PDF).

Proposals for a new airport in the Thames Estuary had been put forward by architect Lord Foster and London Mayor Boris Johnson but in November the Government ruled out making any decisions on a Thames airport until at least next summer.

This will delay any decision on Boris Johnson's airport proposals, dubbed "Boris Island". Former trade minister Lord Heseltine warned recently that the Government's decision to hold off on airport plans could see Britain fall behind its competitors because while failure to invest in infrastructure can be disguised in the short run it is disastrous in the long run.

A planning and aviation expert has welcomed the Government's recognition that more capacity is needed but warned that the speed of delivery would be the key to success.

“Government acceptance of the need for new airport capacity in the south east – and capacity to maintain the scale of an international hub - is a huge positive, not just for the aviation industry but for any UK business that needs direct connections to world markets", said Jon Riley, planning and aviation expert at Pinsent Masons, the law firm behind Out-Law.com.

"Speed of delivery is key to generating growth in the short term, so there is now a pressing need for Government to finalise its aviation framework policy document to inform the site selection and planning process,” said Riley.

The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has identified airport expansion as one of next year’s big policy battlegrounds. The UK “desperately” needs a bold decision to have a world leading airport," said John Cridland, director-general of CBI.