First Designs of Gatwick New Terminal and Runaway 25 Mar 2014

CEO Stewart Wingate, and architect Sir Terry Farrell, gave presentations to business leaders, media and politicians, on why the busiest single runway airport in the world is the best choice for future expansion.

Gatwick was short-listed in December by the Airports Commission, along with London Heathrow, as one of three options for a new runway, to boost airport capacity in the South East of the UK.

A state-of-the-art terminal to service the new runway was detailed, as well as a high-tech transportation interchange to provide surface access to cope with increased capacity.

Wingate told event attendees, that Gatwick was the ‘obvious’ choice for expansion due to lower costs, and affects on the environment and boost it would give to the economy.

He says the third terminal and second runway, would cost £7 billion (€8.7 billion), be paid for without tax-payers money and be completed by 2025 at the earliest.

It says the runway would add an additional 40 million passengers and offer flights to 442 destinations by 2050, compared to 29 million and 415 destinations if Heathrow was expanded.

The third runway would be linked to the existing North Terminal and South Terminal by shuttle and an inter-terminal transport link would be constructed.

“The next runway needs to bring the greatest economic return for the UK at the lowest environmental cost. That makes Gatwick the obvious answer and we will be able to connect more destinations in the future because we are the only airport to cater for all airline models,” Wingate says.

Wingate adds: “It is the best solution that embraces long-term aviation trends. It can also be delivered in less time with less cost and less noise.

"Most importantly, passengers will benefit from more choice and better value for money, and if chosen, and with swift decision making – we are committing today to start work on site in the next Parliament.”

Wingate explained that if chosen, Gatwick would develop in a way in which it can compete with Amsterdam Schiphol, Heathrow and Frankfurt.

He explains in his view, the two-plus, two-plus system split between Heathrow and Gatwick is the way forward for expansion in the UK, as it would drive airport competition.

“A second runway at Gatwick would continue on the path of a competitive UK airport market, but building a third runway at Heathrow is a step back in having a monopoly, like the BAA days and is a retrograde step,” Wingate says.

Gatwick claims 3,650 people are affected by noise from its flights, which is only 3% of the 239,600 from flights to and from Heathrow, that Wingate says alone impacts ‘more than all of the hubs in Europe combined’.

Wingate concluded by declaring that Gatwick was five to 10 years ahead of Heathrow in delivering a new runway for the South East of the UK.

Sir Terry Farrell, of Farrell and Partners, who designed Incheon International Airport’s ground transportation interchange, has been looking into the proposed development and gave a presentation on his firm’s work.

He showcased the new terminal designs, along with a planned transport interchange which would be built, that he says would be designed in a similar way to the Incheon model.

Farrell says: “Gatwick would be a transformed airport, state-of-the-art, and the terminal would not be an add on, or an extra bit. It would be an airport of international standards to compare with the best anywhere in the world.”

He adds: “We must expand airport capacity in London and the UK for connectivity in an integrated way. In metropolises around the world (such as Tokyo, and Paris) you have a constellations of hubs, which is what developing Gatwick would create.”

Farrell says expansion at Gatwick could do for South London and the wider region what the ‘Olympics did for East London’ and would give a huge boost in terms of jobs, housing and regeneration.

The Airports Commission led by Sir Howard Davies, has also short-listed an additional runway to the northwest at Heathrow.

The world’s third busiest airport says it would £16 billion (€19 billion), increase aircraft movements from 480,000 to 740,000, and be ready by 2026.

The final option, to extend an existing runway at Heathrow, is being put forward by an independent group, while the commission is also researching the radical Estuary Airport proposal.

Championed by London Mayor Boris Johnson, the new hub is expected to cost from £20-100 billion (€24-120 billion), and the commission will make a decision in the autumn whether to add the 110mppa plan in the Isle of Grain in Kent to the short-list.

The commission is set to give a response on the three options it has short-listed by the end of this month, and will give its final recommendations to the UK government after next year’s general election.

(www.airport-world.com)