News

Yesterday's air crash at London's Heathrow Airport (17 January) caused many flights to be diverted to other UK airports including Manston in Kent, Stansted, Luton, Gatwick and Manchester.

The crash caused both runways at the airport to be closed temporarily. The northern runway reopened at 1.05pm and, after just under two hours, a section of the southern runway, where the aircraft crashed, was reopened.

Although there was no loss of life and the injuries to some 19 passengers were considered to be minor, pundits are now considering the possibility that the planned extra runway at Heathrow must be under question. The Boeing 777 narrowly missed homes and roads close to the perimeter fence of the worlds busiest airport as it attempted to land.

Back in November, the government outlined its support for airport operator BAA's aim to build the third runway and sixth terminal building at Heathrow by 2020.

Hillingdon Council, the London borough which covers the site of Heathrow's proposed third runway, says the development should be rejected because of the risk it poses to safety.

In the council's view "the high density of population in the vicinity of Heathrow, combined with the increase in the number of aircraft movements that a third runway would allow is predicted to cause a significant increase in safety risk".

The Labour MP for Hayes and Harlington, John McDonnell said: "This incident demonstrates the risk of a further runway at Heathrow to the safety of local communities and London.

"Nobody planning an airport today would even consider the expansion of an airport so close to the largest centre of population in this country."

Any postponement of the expansion to Heathrow could put extra pressure on the need for more local airports and supporters of the Lydd expansion plans could receive a boost. In a Government’s White Paper on the Future of Aviation published in 2003 it states that regional airports should expand to meet the demand for air travel within their region.