Ziwira Travel August

Heathrow ExpansionTo build, or not to build?Air pollution is one of the concerns delaying Heathrow’s runway expansion.Plans to expand Heathrow’s runwayfirst emerged two and a half yearsago, and have now resurfaced, thistime with more probability of a final decisionbeing reached. The expansion will open uptrade with China and India, as well as allowfor increased passenger movability, makingtravel to and from the UK much moreconvenient.However, part of the delay has been dueto concerns over the costs and benefits ofthe expansion. According to the AirportsCommission, Heathrow’s owner wants tobuild a third runway 2 miles north of theexisting two, which will cost 18.6 billionpounds. A private bidder, Heathrow Hub,wants to extend one of the current runways sothat planes can land and take-off at the sametime, allowing for more flights. This will cost13.5 billion pounds.Whatever the final decision will be, thecosts are exorbitant, and are likely to affectpassengers if the airlines raise ticket pricesto cover these costs. Apart from costs,experts have raised concerns over noise andair pollution as well. While a major part ofairport pollution does not come from theplane engines, a significantly large amountcomes from other vehicles such as trucks andbuses that are crucial for daily operation of theairport. The proposed Heathrow expansion isexpected to exceed EU pollution limits.Matt Gorman, Heathrow’s Director ofEnvironment and Sustainability, says theexpansion carries major economic benefits,and can be done safely within EU limits.Plans were recently announced to make theairport an Ultra-Low Emission Zone by 2025.At this stage, it is not clear when the runwayexpansion will begin, if approved. First,all the political, legal and environmentalissues would have to be ironed out until allparties involved can reach an agreement.Chairman of the Airports Commission, SirHoward Davies is expected to draft a reporton the shortlisted options soon, the findingsof which will then have to be reviewed bygovernment ministers and other experts