Boris Johnson today accused bosses at Heathrow of treating the public like “absolute idiots” as the row over a third runway mounted.
The Mayor hit out at the airport chiefs for arguing that there is public support for a third runway and possibly a fourth. “Of all the miserable, useless, cynical examples of corporate short-termism and greed, this takes some beating,” he wrote in The Standard.
He said Heathrow expansion would create more noise misery for many Londoners. He believes a new superhub airport should instead be built in the Thames Estuary or at Stansted. Heathrow insists this would close the west London airport with the loss of tens of thousands of jobs. But Mr Johnson denied that would mean local “economic devastation”, adding: “We are looking at an area the size of Kensington and Chelsea, with the potential for tens of thousands of homes, hi-tech industry, university campuses and, if need be, a vestigial airport.” He called for “political drive” for a new superhub.
Heathrow has published a poll showing 46 per cent of nearby residents likely to be pro-expansion and 43 per cent against. An airport spokesman said: “The Mayor’s proposals would be vastly more expensive for taxpayers, take much longer than expanding Heathrow and would see the UK falling further behind in the global race.”
