Britain's aviation hub

Britain’s Airport Hub

The issue of the UK’s aviation crisis is hot in the Government, the media and society. Heathrow cannot cope with the predicted increase of flights - from 140 million passengers to 400 million by 2050. So the debate for a plan needs to be made quickly. On the 17^th December, the Airport’s Commission shortlisted its three options for expanding the UK’s aviation capacity. These are; adding a third runway to Heathrow, lengthening an existing runway at Heathrow and building a new runway at Gatwick. The Commission also stated that they have not ruled out the possibility of the construction of a new runway in the Thames Estuary.

 

Expanding Heathrow is a strongly opposed option because the large airport already has 5 terminals and 2 runways with proposals of any expansion immediately opposed by locals. However building a new hub would decrease the use of Heathrow and not only lose the business money but also cause tens of thousands of people to lose their jobs. Another arguing case against the expansion of Heathrow is that by the time a third runway is built (estimated 2030) there would be a demand for a fourth runway.

A Thames Estuary Airport has been proposed for decades but nothing has progressed due to environmental concerns for bird species. Ideas range from runways built on artificial islands which would be connected by shuttles to the mainland terminals and then railways into London and to the Channel Tunnel.

However, another Thames airport idea is Sir Norman Foster’s Thames Hub Airport which would be built on reclaimed land and would involve a new Thames tidal barrier which would provide greater flooding protection and tidal energy.

In July, Foster + Partners submitted the final proposal for the Thames Estuary airport. These plans not only outline the 4 runway airport but also the new and much needed Thames flood barrier, and the transport links. The proposal is quite staggering due to the amount of infrastructure that is needed but really the UK’s railways are already well organised so would not need drastic developments.

The proposal for the construction of this new airport is the realisation that to secure Britain’s future economy, their global supply chains needs to be expanded. With the construction of additional runways at London’s main airports, Heathrow and Gatwick facing strong opposition, building a 4 runway one by the Thames Estuary is seen to be the favoured proposal for increasing British international trade and travel connections. The new 4 runway airport will quadruple the flight destinations to Asia and the Americas, and will service 110 million passengers a year.

The airport proposal has been submitted with high speed rail connections to London’s main stations and to other British cities. As well as linking to the nearby motorways such as the M25. The construction will also include the building of a new Thames flood barrier. With the current one needing to be rebuilt to guarantee London’s embankments’ safety, the Thames airport construction fits well with the design.

 

Foster + Partners success with many other high scale designs such as the Beijing airport makes me even more supportive of the Thames transportation hub because it not only is the best solution for the British trade economy but also as the firm is normal very efficient with delivering successful, beautiful designs.

by Tim Spears