Economists raise concerns over airport expansion in letter to Rachel Reeves

Economists, academics and transport experts have written to chancellor Rachel Reeves and transport secretary Heidi Alexander to raise concerns over the government’s airport expansion plans.

The signatories, including 16 professors of economics at top UK universities, have described the claimed economic benefits of airport expansion as ​“at best uncertain”.

The letter also states that there are ​“no indications that the environmental and health impacts of airport expansion can be adequately mitigated”.

It comes after the government has received outline proposals from business groups hoping to build Heathrow’s third runway.

Before any of those proposals can be approved, the government has committed to reviewing the Airports National Policy Statement which sets the decision-making criteria for a third runway at Heathrow.

Dr Alex Chapman, senior economist at the New Economics Foundation, signed and helped co-ordinate the letter.

He said:

“With the Reform Party surging in the polls, and Britain’s historic seaside destinations emerging as the heartlands of their support, it is odd that the government appears desperate to send as many British tourists as possible, and their money, to holiday destinations in other countries.

“The economic case for airport expansion is questionable from so many angles, but chief among them is the decline of business reliance on air travel. Government’s support for expansion appears grounded in assumptions and industry vibes more so than evidence and research.

“The most comprehensive recent assessments of airport expansion were conducted by government-appointed inspectors assessing the Gatwick and Luton proposals. In both cases they recommended refusal because the balance of benefits and costs didn’t stack up.

“As a bare minimum the upcoming review of the Airports National Policy Statement must involve a thorough and independent impact assessment of Heathrow’s expansion and should consider other, lower-impact, alternatives.”

ENDS

Contact

James Rush – james.rush@neweconomics.org

Notes

The New Economics Foundation is a charitable think tank. We are independent of political parties and committed to being transparent about how we are funded.

The letter can be seen in full here.