Heathrow Airport’s chief executive officer, John Holland-Kaye has urged the UK Government to “seize the opportunity by expanding the hub airport would deliver”.
His call comes ahead of today’s budget statement from the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne, where Osborne will discuss the European Union.
Holland-Kaye says: “If the Government is serious about building the country’s economic strength then it must prioritise sorting out the UK’s airport hub capacity crunch by approving Heathrow expansion once the EU debate is settled.
“Further delay just costs the country. To keep our strong position as a trading island we need to be connected to the world’s fastest growing economies by the only way possible, through an expanded Heathrow.
“The sooner we can get started the sooner the nation will feel the benefit. The construction will be privately financed and the prize is up to £211 billion of economic growth and 180,000 new jobs across the whole of the UK – let’s get this country building.”
The Government is set to make decision in the summer on whether to expand Heathrow or Gatwick Airport. It put a decision on hold before Christmas so an independent pollution assessment could be carried out.
