Politician calls for new runway

Oct 28 2009 by Jez Davison, Evening Gazette

A TEES Valley MP has called for a third runway at Heathrow to help cash-strapped regional airlines.

The call comes as a report recently said a public service obligation (PSO) - which would effectively ring-fence landing slots for flights from Teesside to Heathrow - could cost the region an initial £21.5m and up to £2m a year thereafter.

Commissioned by development agency One North East, the report also said the Government was unlikely to give backing to such a move, with every region outside the South of England affected by Heathrow’s pricing structure.

Since the early 1990s UK regional services into Heathrow have fallen from 21 to six - and just two from England, Newcastle and Manchester.

Durham Tees Valley Airport has been rocked by a series of route cancellations over the past 18 months - including its bmi service to Heathrow.

Sedgefield MP Phil Wilson has called on the Government to ring-fence slots for regional airlines in advance of a new third runway at Heathrow, which he claims is a better strategic bet for DTVA than the soon-to-be-sold Gatwick.

“We need a third runway,” he said. “Heathrow is about 99% capacity and there are very few regional services into the airport.”

He has called for a review into Government aviation policy, which he says should take measures to stop regional airlines from being priced out of the market.

“It’s not just about the economies of the aviation industry; it’s about the economies of the regions. The Government’s strategy should be focused on growing these regional economies.

“High-speed rail is a great idea but is not the only idea - and it’s going to take 20 years to come to fruition,” added Mr Wilson.

Heathrow Airport owner BAA distanced itself from the debate, claiming it was up to policymakers to decide which regions would benefit from additional services in and out of Heathrow.

A spokesperson for BAA said: “With a third runway at Heathrow, airlines have indicated that they would expect to restore links to regions that have lost their Heathrow service.

“Which of these air links are given priority is a matter for the Government.”