Government has ‘moved heaven and earth’ to deliver Heathrow third runway, transport secretary claims
Ministers have moved “heaven and earth” to speed up the delivery of Heathrow’s third runway, the transport secretary has said, in a speech that cheered the megaproject’s potential to bring jobs and investment to Britain. Heidi Alexander told an aviation summit that no government “has moved further and faster on airport” improvement than the current [...]
The transport secretary, Heidi Alexander, has been quoted as claiming that her government has "moved heaven and earth" to expedite the construction of Heathrow's third runway. During a speech at an aviation summit, Alexander praised the Labour administration's rapid progress on airport improvements, citing the approval of Gatwick and Luton expansions as a "shot in the arm" for the South East.
Despite Prime Minister refusing to endorse the £49bn scheme, Alexander emphasized that a third runway could unlock opportunities, jobs, investment, and growth across the country, which is why her administration has worked tirelessly to fast-track the draft Heathrow planning blueprint. The remarks reflect a significant shift in the government's stance on the mega-project, as opposed to the previous administration's more cautious approach.
The final draft of the National Policy Statement, which will serve as the framework for judging Heathrow's and Heathrow West's applications, is expected to be published early next year ahead of a crucial parliamentary vote. Alexander also expressed her frustration over two major outages in Britain's air traffic control system, which have left thousands of passengers stranded and caused widespread cancellations and delays.
She vowed to ensure that lessons are learned from the incidents and took responsibility for addressing the issue.
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