London Gatwick Airport’s plans to build a second runway has secured support from the East Sussex County Council, UK.
The council said that the expansion of the airport will provide better links for business to trade worldwide, as well as encourage inward investment, securing new jobs and attracting more tourists, reports heart.co.uk.
A total of 19 entrepreneurs from across the UK have pledged their support for expanding Gatwick Airport.
An open letter from the entrepreneurs to the Airports Commission highlights the importance of maintaining a competitive network of airports in the south-east to sustain choice and resilience when accessing overseas markets.
It states that only an expanded Gatwick will support the competition in UK’s aviation industry, and that expanding Heathrow would restore its monopoly and strangle the benefits of this diversity.
The Airports Commission anticipates creation of 63,000 jobs by an expansion of Gatwick Airport.
Figures released by a UK-wide survey state that around 42% of small business owners would back Gatwick’s expansion over that of Heathrow (37%).
Gatwick Airport CEO Stewart Wingate said: "Indecision has dogged this debate for decades but more than anything, entrepreneurs and businesses up and down the country need certainty.
"Expansion at Heathrow is politically and environmentally toxic, but a new runway at Gatwick could be delivered by 2025 at a fraction of the environmental impact of Heathrow."
Image: Gatwick Airport’s plans to construct a second runway has been backed by the East Sussex County Council. Photo: courtesy of Gatwick Airport Limited.
