Airport News
Decision on London Heathrow Airport runway delayed
Fri, 05 Dec, 2008
The decision on whether to approve a new runway for London Heahtrow Airport has been delayed by the transport secretary.
Geoff Hoon had been expected to announce if the third runway, as well as a sixth terminal, would go ahead this week, but he has now said that the decision will not be made until 2009.
"I will ensure that I give proper consideration to the evidence and will therefore take more time before making an announcement," he commented.
Those who oppose the additional runway argue that the economic benefits would not be enough to justify the three million tonnes of carbon dioxide that could be produced yearly by the increase in traffic.
However, supporters maintain that the third runway is essential if London Heathrow is to maintain its competitive status on a global level.
In 2006, Heathrow was the busiest airport in Europe in terms of total passenger traffic and it is currently the third busiest airport in the world.