Heathrow expansion group launched

The Labour peer says expansion is beneficial to local interests

A group campaigning for the continued development of London's Heathrow airport is being launched.

Future Heathrow, which counts airlines and unions among its members, says it is aiming to highlight the importance of the airport to the economy.

Its leader, the Labour peer Lord Soley, said the airport could start to lose business to European rivals.

But Heathrow anti-noise lobby group Hacan Clearskies says expansion would not have a significant economic impact.

The group plans to demonstrate outside Future Heathrow's launch at the CBI headquarters in London.

"The aviation industry should stop dressing up its desire to make ever-higher profits as `the national economic interest'," said Hacan chairman John Stewart.

Residents' concerns

Lord Soley said Heathrow was "critically important" to the economic prosperity of west London and the Thames Valley and needed a proposed third runway.

We have a duty to address the local residents' concerns, but their economic welfare is linked to Heathrow Lord Soley

"We believe Heathrow can develop in a way that is sensitive to environmental issues and the needs of the local population," the former Ealing, Acton and Shepherd's Bush MP said.

"We have a duty to address the local residents' concerns, but their economic welfare is linked to Heathrow and no-one will thank us for ducking difficult decisions now if we store up greater problems for the future."

European airports including Amsterdam, Paris Charles de Gaulle and Munich overtook Heathrow in the number of European destinations served in 2004, he added.

"Visit any modern airport in Europe and you will see how Heathrow has fallen behind," he said.

In transit

Hacan said the business generated by the five airports serving London - Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton and London City - also needed to be considered.

Hacan disputes the claims of the new lobby group

It said 128 million people used those airports in 2004, compared with 73 million using Paris and more than double the number using Frankfurt and Amsterdam.

In a new study, Hacan said that, of the 22 million additional people who used Heathrow in 2004 compared with 1992, 19 million were transfer or transit passengers who contributed little to the overall economy.

Earlier this month, Hacan said Lord Soley had previously supported its efforts while an MP.

However, the peer has said he has always recognised that there was a need for Heathrow to retain a position as a leading airport.