Boris wants to close Heathrow

[AtW]

THE London mayor Boris Johnson is proposing to close down Heathrow and replace it with a 24-hour airport in the Thames estuary.

The airport, most likely to be located on an artificial island off Sheppey in Kent, would have four runways, but capacity for two more if required.

Passengers would be transported to and from central London on high-speed trains in about 35 minutes. Luggage could be checked in at the railway station.

The airport would be connected to the Channel tunnel rail link, opening up fast passenger and freight routes to northern Europe. Brussels, for example, would be about 90 minutes away by train.

Johnson’s aides believe the scheme, loosely modelled on Hong Kong international airport, could take just six years to build, eventually leading to a phased closure of Heathrow and possibly even Gatwick.

The Heathrow site, which employs 70,000 workers, could ultimately be turned into Britain’s equivalent of Silicon Valley, with technology parks and affordable homes.

“If we can build St Paul’s, the Gherkin, the Channel tunnel and all the rest of it, we can do this,” said Kit Malthouse, one of Johnson’s deputies, who is overseeing the airport project. “We just need a bit of courage.”

Johnson believes the new airport would solve congestion at Heathrow, which serves 67m passengers a year, and create new jobs east of the capital.

While the proposal will be welcomed by long-suffering residents under the flightpath, the airport’s closure is likely to be opposed by BAA, its owner.

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Seems like a good idea actually. Recession is the best time to build such things - rates are lower and plenty of work force available.

Linky: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle4795085.ece

[BrilloPad]

It is an outstanging idea on very many levels. Its just a pity that plenty of red tape will be applied and in 20 years time it will still be waiting for funding.

While they are at it they could relocate Buck Pal to somewhere in the West and parliament to Lancashire.

[AtW]

and parliament to Lancashire.

Scotland surely?

[HairyArsedBloke]

Passengers would be transported to and from central London on high-speed trains in about 35 minutes. Luggage could be checked in at the railway station.

Bastards stopped that at Paddington for the Heathrow express.

I loved that. Check luggage at the station then I could go for breakfast, relax on the train, do the do at heathrow and then up to the lounge to start on the bubbly.

Now I don't bother with either and get a cab all the way to the airport.

[AtW]

I loved that. Check luggage at the station then I could go for breakfast, relax on the train, do the do at heathrow and then up to the lounge to start on the bubbly.

Then find out your laggage was lost

[HairyArsedBloke]

It's missed the flight and caught the next one on the way out a couple of times.

[Paddy]

There was a new airport being built with tax payers money in the 60s and it was abandoned after building two runways.

[OwlHoot]

THE London mayor Boris Johnson is proposing to close down Heathrow and replace it with a 24-hour airport in the Thames estuary.

The airport, most likely to be located on an artificial island off Sheppey in Kent, ..

I've been saying this for years. But my scheme would be a giant floating airport like an oversized Bailey bridge or that thing they used as an artificial harbour after the Normandy landings (unless planes' automatic landing systems would get confused by the ground level rising and falling by several feet with each tide, but would that be a major problem with ground beacons?).

There wouldn't be any risk of a floating airport flooding either, and it might even be a safe haven for young fish (if they don't need much sunlight), which would regenerate fish stocks in the North Sea.

Talking about wildlife though, I suspect Boris will find the twitchers up in arms about the loss of habitat and danger of planes for wading birds (and v.v.) in the Thames estuary.

[BrilloPad]

Talking about wildlife though, I suspect Boris will find the twitchers up in arms about the loss of habitat and danger of planes for wading birds (and v.v.) in the Thames estuary.

Can we not buy them off with a new bicycle, beard trimmers and a recipe for onion quiche?

[expat]

Certainly the idea of just keeping Heathrow and building a third runway seems like insanity, when so many passengers already have to take shuttle flights from other parts of the country just to get to Heathrow to get their flight.

Of course BAA like the idea. I don't see why anybody else does.