At long last, Britain is on the brink of deciding where to site its badly needed new runway. The Airports Commission, under Sir Howard Davies, has narrowed the choice to either a second runway at Gatwick or a third at Heathrow.
In a few weeks it will publish its appraisal of the options and ask the public for their views. The commission is scheduled to produce its final report next summer, soon after the general election.
Let’s be clear: whichever party or parties form the next government, it then will be time to act. Be in no doubt, either, that new capacity is required: passenger numbers are expected to nearly double by 2050 and it is estimated that failing to meet this growing demand could