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Fri March 29 2024

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Gatwick pitches second runway plan

24 Jul 13 London Gatwick has submitted a proposal for a second runway to the Airports Commission to meet future capacity in the southeast.

The new runway would be south of the current site and would need less government subsidy than options to develop Heathrow or build a new airport east of London, it is claimed.

Gatwick’s proposal is for London to continue to be served by a multi-airport or ‘constellation’ system, rather than a super hub. New York, Tokyo, Paris and Moscow all have more than one airport, it says, and so can handle greater numbers of passengers than cities relying on a single hub.

Gatwick’s submission argues that expansion at Gatwick would deliver the additional capacity and connectivity which the UK and London need until the 2040s. It says that a second runway at Gatwick would provide a similar level of connectivity as a third runway at Heathrow but with additional benefits to passengers, to London and to the economy. A second runway at Gatwick would be built for less, would increase competition and would lead to lower fares, which in turn would stimulate economic growth.

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London Gatwick chief executive Stewart Wingate said: “Our evidence shows clearly that an additional runway at Gatwick would best serve the needs of all passengers, and give certainty to airlines, communities and businesses. It would deliver the connectivity the UK needs with lower environmental impacts, whilst spreading the economic benefits.

“A two-runway Gatwick, as part of a constellation of three major airports surrounding London, will also provide flexibility in an industry where the only constant is change.”

Gatwick’s expansion aspirations are backed, in principle, by West Sussex County Council.

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