UK airport expansion plans restricted
Yesterday, BAA withdrew its planning applications for expansion at Heathrow and Stansted airports. The move comes in light of the new Conservative-Liberal Government in the UK.
Both the Conservative party and Liberal Democrats were vocal in their plans to stop the third runway at Heathrow in the run up the the election. Their coalition manifesto also outlined restrictions on any airport in the South East of the UK.
BAA are still aiming to buy property located on the proposed site of the third runway. This will give them an improved chance of expansion at the UK's biggest airport in the future.
Colin Matthews, BAA's chief executive, said that "Heathrow played an important role for the UK and supports thousands of jobs". He added, "we continue to believe that new capacity would strengthen the UK's trading links with the global markets on which our economy and our competitiveness depend".
The same day BAA withdrew its planning applications, Bristol Airport in South West UK has its expansion plans approved. The expansion plan does not involve a new runway or terminals. Instead it focuses on the existing infrastructure to double the number of passengers using the airport.
The airport is currently the ninth biggest in the UK. One of the options for meeting the increased aviation needs in the UK is the expansion of regional airports such as Bristol.
Source: BBC
