Certainly not in my lifetime. Maybe yours.

Oh dear, I see there is already a 50+ page thread on the subject in the UK forum. Might as well just merge my first post...

I did consider holding a 5-year inquiry on the matter, but instead went ahead and merged the threads :)

stut
Moderator
UK & Ireland

You, reckless you. I mean, how can one take FT seriously with all that moderating on the hoof. ;) Evidence-based moderation, that's what we need! :D

The real biggy is that Heathrow directly employees tens of thousands of people, indirectly hundreds of thousands and many businesses set up in the area because of Heathrow. How do you move them?

Yes but that is true whenever you relocate a major airport, or indeed any major facility. This is an important issue that must be put in the balance. It is not necessarily per se conclusive.

Do the areas deserve the jobs?
In the referendum recently in Hillingdon, [redacted by moderator] said they didnt support a 3rd runway but didnt support Boris Island either because of all the jobs LHR provides the area. I think for the stupidity of that statement alone they deserve to lose LHR.

I would hope that such decisions would be based on an informed, dispassionate, analytical and professional approach to the questions rather than the Jeremy Kyle style of decision-making that you seem to favour.

haha, that made my evening, thanks. :)

(Yes, anything will make your evening if you are studying for an exam on transport economics...)

Indeed... big projects take so long these days, aviation will be in decline due to the high prices of oil by the time that it happens. So, might as well not bother.

Indeed, it's a huge political no-no. I think the issue with Heathrow just comes down to 3rd runway/no third runway, not whether to move it. If they can't have the third runway, then they might have to get creative. I'm sure there are plenty of ways to continue increasing passenger numbers, and even flights, such as limiting the number of small aircraft slots and increasing operating hours. I wonder if people are sometimes considering the problem the wrong way...
(I'm sure these ideas have been covered in the first 50 pages, which I'll have to read after tomorrow's exam)

Unfortunately informed, dispassionate, analytical and professional approach's do not exist in many cases in the UK.
From what we have seen Conservative and Lib Dem politicians, green groups and many of the residents of West London certainly do not take informed, dispassionate, analytical and professional approach's.

and your point is....? Is it "Miss, miss, ... he started it..."?

I have no idea what to reply to this. Nor do I see any point to this discussion with you whatsoever.

I think from previous encounters it is just easier for us to ignore each other.

I think in the short term and perhaps even in this government LHR will be allowed to increase movements to 540,000 a year by introducing mixed mode. George Osbourne is in favour of this as a short term solution. This will probably give a UK government an extra 3 or 4 years to dither before deciding whether to build a new runway, airport or just decide to let the Dutch do all the hubbing business.