Yes I did mean that the future expansion of “hub” traffic in the UK is in jeopardy not that the traffic we already have faces decline.
Heathrow runs at about 99% capacity most of the time. One small hiccup causes major chaos. There are no spare “slots” available for growth and when faced with a growing market airlines will simply take their business elsewhere. They don’t have the luxury of prevaricating for donkeys’ years as do politicians. They have customers’ requirements to meet.
If this scheme goes ahead without further challenge (which is about as big an “if” that you can get) it will not be completed until 2026. This matter has seen prevarication on an epic scale (even by UK politicians’ standards) by successive governments of all colours. There has been no full length runway constructed in the South-East since WW2. In 2003 the then Transport Secretary, Alastair Darling, told assembled journalist that “doing nothing” about runway capacity was not an option. Moving on, here’s an article from 2009 explaining that the third runway has been given the go ahead:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/dailypolitics/andrewneil/2009/01/third_runway_gets_goahead.html
I must have missed it because it was not there when I last visited Heathrow.
Politicians in this country are terrified of upsetting anybody. They are paid to make decisions, some of which may be unpalatable. The people in places like Harmondsworth (which faces extinction should the runway be built) have been in Purgatory for as long as I can remember. They cannot sell their houses because of the blight but they are not being compensated because of the prevarication. It’s an utter disgrace and politicians of all hues should be ashamed of themselves. My belief is that as soon as the inevitable legal challenges are launched the matter will once again be kicked into the long grass only to see the next lot of prevaricators review the matter all over again before the so-called "go-ahead" is given once again.
“The prime point is that planes' exhaust fumes stink; their rubbish fuel is polluting the environment where ever they fly. Then there's the din they make, day and night.”
Very true. But an equally compelling “prime point” is that people want to move about without spending days or weeks on ships and many goods need to be transported quickly. That’s life and it is the job of politicians to facilitate those things, not prevaricate endlessly over them.