A proposal to build a third runway at London’s Heathrow Airport has passed a crucial milestone after British MPs voted overwhelmingly in favor of the project Monday.
The £14 billion ($US18 billion) project was approved by 415 votes to 119, paving the way for the new runway to open by 2026.
UK Foreign Secretary and expansion critic Boris Johnson headed to Afghanistan rather than vote on it and the Labour Party, which also opposed the project, gave its members a free vote.
“Parliament has ended 50 years of debate by deciding that Heathrow expansion will go ahead,’’ Heathrow chief executive John Holland-Kaye said.
“This vote will see us deliver more jobs, create a lasting legacy of skills for future generations and guarantee expansion is delivered responsibly.
“We are grateful that MPs have made the right choice for Britain and today we start work to create the best-connected hub airport in the world.”
Heathrow is one of the world’s busiest airport but is running close to capacity and in 2017 handled more than 78 million passengers on more than 474,000 flights.
READ Third Heathrow runway an economic bonanza.
The extra runway, to be parallel to the existing runways and to the north-west, is also needed to allow Heathrow to keep up with European rivals such as Amsterdam’s Schiphol, which has six runways.
However, its flight paths cross many residential districts and the project threatens to destroy historic villages dating back to medieval times.
Opponents worried about air and noise pollution include environmental groups and the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan. They have threatened a legal challenge to the decision.
“MPs who backed this climate-wrecking new runway will be harshly judged by history,’’ Friends of the Earth said in a statement.
“The evidence on the accelerating climate crisis, which is already hitting the world’s most vulnerable people, is overwhelming – and expanding Heathrow will only intensify the misery.”
The new Heathrow runway will be the first new full-length runway to be built in the south-east of England since World War II and will allow the airport to boost its capacity to 130 million passengers and 740,000 flight movements per year.
More than 50 options were considered during a 2.5-year, £20m, Airports Commission process before it recommended a new Heathrow north-west runway
Holland-Kaye said the UK’s Airports National Policy Statement ratified by Parliament would set the policy framework for a consent application for the new runway.
“Heathrow is currently preparing to hold a second public consultation on its plans before submitting a development consent order application to the Planning Inspectorate, kick-starting an approval process expected to take 18 months,” he said.
“In addition to Heathrow’s consultation, the development consent process will provide further opportunities for residents and stakeholders to influence Heathrow’s proposal.
“If Heathrow is granted development consent, construction would begin in 2021 ahead of the new runway opening in 2026.”
