BAA abandons hope for third runway

BAA is said to have abandoned its plans for a third runway at London Heathrow. The incumbent Labour Party government had given the go ahead for the runway.
But with it looking increasingly likely that the Conservative Party, which has made scrapping the plan a central part of its election manifesto, will come to power in June, BAA has decided not to submit its planning application before the elections.
Shadow transport minister, Julian Brazier, says: “We are absolutely firm on our opposition to expansion at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted.
"It will definitely be in the manifesto.” He added that the party would focus on encouraging development at regional airports and more high-speed trains.
This does not mean that BAA has permanently given up on the third runway.
In a statement the company says: “We remain convinced that a third runway is the only viable, costed and thought-through way of meeting the need for extra runway capacity to maintain this country’s global connections to the rest of the world, particularly in an era where long-haul links to markets, such as China and India, are increasingly important.
“The process was always going to take until after the general election. We continue to work on the application and will take as long as is necessary to prepare a proper submission.”