This week the government will announce a new runway plan for Heathrow or Gatwick that will be a boon for Scotland for decades to come. It will mean better air links between Scotland and London, an opportunity to launch new routes, and more competition between airlines, putting downward pressure on air fares.
Scotland is well placed to attract new investment in the years ahead. Industries like energy, financial services, digital media, aerospace and defence all have strong growth potential. But to compete in an increasingly global economy, Scotland needs to reach out to the world through improved connections with emerging and established markets. The continued growth of Scottish airports will be vital to that process. But they alone can’t provide the connectivity Scotland needs.
Only a London hub can do that - linking Scottish businesses with fast developing cities in China, India, and South America that will be the gateway to growth in the 21st century. Scotland is responsible for some of Britain’s leading exports, and access to a major hub airport is going to become even more important in the future if those exports are going to increase.
There are three great choices on the table. A new northwest runway at Heathrow, a second runway at Gatwick, or an extension to one of Heathrow’s existing runways. Each offers a different solution to the challenges we face.
Those challenges are clear. We are running out of space. The longer we stall, the greater cost to the country. Heathrow’s two runways are now full, and over the past eight years it has slipped from being the world’s busiest airport to the sixth busiest . Gatwick is the world’s busiest single runway airport, and it too is running out of room.
The runway plan we announce this week will be the best one for Scotland – just as it will be the best option for the whole of Britain. Scotland’s economy already benefits hugely from flights to London. What Scottish businesses need, over and above the excellent service offered by Scotland’s airports, are easy connections to a national hub which has ample space to grow.
As an island nation, air links are crucial to Britain. But we haven’t built a new full length runway in the south-east since the Second World War – and in the meantime, other countries have been overtaking us.
European airports like Paris, Frankfurt and Amsterdam have lots of runway space in which to grow and add new routes. Since 2010, China has built or started building more than 50 new airports, including a nine-runway superhub in Beijing. There are new mega-airports that could take business from Britain in Abu Dhabi and Doha. And when Istanbul’s new airport opens in two years’ time, it will have six runways.
Our decision this week will put us back up there with the best. It will be affordable, environmentally sustainable, and a plan that the whole country can get behind. After decades of uncertainty about aviation hub capacity in the south east of England, it will deliver a major boost to jobs and growth, and send a message out that Scotland - and the rest of Britain - are open for business. And Scotland won’t have to wait until construction is finished to start reaping the rewards. Scottish firms have a great track record in securing contracts for airport development.
We will deliver the runway expansion as quickly as possible. The plan we announced earlier this week will allow us to do that, while getting the scheme right for local communities and the rest of Britain. It will mean we can get spades in the ground at the earliest opportunity so the national benefits can be realised fast.
As the Prime Minister has made absolutely clear, we are going to make a success of Brexit. That means not just taking back control from Europe, but securing Britain’s future as one of the best connected countries on earth. By building new runway space in the south east of England, we will achieve that objective - and the whole of Scotland will profit.
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