Greater airport capacity is not just a pipe dream – it’s a necessity

The announcement that the government had approved plans for Heathrow expansion received a predictably mixed response this week, but few could argue with transport minister Chris Grayling’s description of it as a “historic moment”.

Discussions about expansion have been going on for decades and, depending on your view, it seems the travel industry finally has reasons to be hopeful.

The third runway still needs parliamentary approval, but that it received support from the cabinet at all is noteworthy – not least given the opposition from the likes of Boris Johnson, who once vowed to “lie down in front of bulldozers”, while the Maidenhead constituency of Theresa May – who pledged to “fight to stop the third runway” – lies uncomfortably close to the west London airport.

But as former transport secretary Lord Adonis told ITT delegates in Sicily this week, “there is a lot of very strong support for Heathrow [expansion] outside of London because a lot of MPs see it as a lifeline for businesses”.

And in a post-Brexit world, this matters. This was evidenced in the reaction of the Institute of Directors, which noted that businesses would be “delighted… at a time when we should be looking outward to become a truly global Britain”.

Of course, the environmental impact of a third runway should not be forgotten, and many on social media noted the irony of the announcement, falling on World Environment Day. Grayling, though, insists it will go ahead only if air quality standards are met. And sustainability may be a luxury the UK can’t afford as it braces for a future outside the EU.

As Adonis said, Heathrow expansion might have been high on the wish list before, but as the UK looks to secure trade deals with countries globally, greater airport capacity is no longer just a pipe dream – it’s a necessity.