The UK’s Heathrow Airport is disputing claims that a third runway is ‘politically undeliverable’, after an Ipson Mori poll has claimed that six out of ten MPs are in favour of an additional runway.
The airport is using this report to fight back against London Mayor Boris Johnson, who branded the third runway campaign as ‘political Kryptonite’ and said it would receive opposition in Parliament. Johnson’s suggestion for a new airport at the Thames Estuary was recently shot down by the UK Government.
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The Telegraph Newspaper quoted the Ipsos Mori poll surveyed 143 MPs, including 58 Conservatives and 66 Labour MPs. This is the first poll commissioned by the airport since the suggestion for the third runway entered the list of future possible expansions to be done in UK airports.
According to the poll, 88% of the MPs to be interviewed agreed that a hub airport such as Heathrow was critical for the growth of the country. When asked which option they thought would resolve the issue of the UK’s airport capacity, 58% supported Heathrow while 13% voted for Gatwick Airport.
The suggestion for new airport at the Thames Estuary was supported by only 8% of the interviewees, while 4% approved the suggestion of extending Heathrow’s current northern runway and effectively operate it as two airstrips.
Heathrow chief executive John Holland-Kaye said: "More and more people are backing Heathrow as the best solution for the UK hub capacity crisis.
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