It has been announced that Heathrow Airport has been given the go ahead to have a brand new runway.
It is said that Heathrow was chosen as it was the most profitable airport to expand and will contribute the most to the UK economy. The alternative choice was to give Gatwick permission to do so.
The transport secretary Chris Grayling said: “A new runway at Heathrow will improve connectivity in the U.K. itself and crucially boost our connections with the rest of the world, supporting exports, trade and job opportunities.
“This isn’t just a great deal for business, it’s a great deal for passengers who will also benefit from access to more airlines, destinations and flights.”
The changes would be a few years away still, with construction not set to begin before 2020 and operational flights not seen until 2025.
However, there is still a chance that the decision is not final as MPs have the right to vote on the choice made in 2017/2018 and there is a chance it could be reversed.
Since the announcement, there has been much talk of protesting the decision from commenters online and even Boris Johnson has promised to lay down in front of the bulldozers when they arrive.
#Heathrow have said that they would only contribute £1bn to improving transport links, TfL estimate it could cost up to £20bn
— Kelly-Marie Blundell (@KellyMarieLD) October 25, 2016
Disappointing that #Heathrow expansion will go ahead, especially when the effects of climate change are so obvious to us today
— thamima (@thamima_) October 25, 2016
However, not everybody is upset about the news!
So glad #Heathrow got the green light! Great news – and yes I live on the flight path before you all protest.
— Christopher A. Hamer (@chrisahamer) October 25, 2016
So what will the expansion of Heathrow mean for the world of cruising? Well, hopefully more connections! Many fly cruises go from London airports and it’s hoped that a new runway will help connect more cruisers to the destinations they need to be.
But what do you think of the news? Were you happy to hear that Heathrow could get the new runway? Would you rather have seen Gatwick expanded? Or do you think expansion should have been made at an airport further north? Let us know in the comments below…
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