Heathrow Airport in London is the most spacious and the busiest airport in Britain. However, currently, it has only two runways, which is obviously not enough. For example, Chicago O’Hare International Airport that has the similar passengers’ volume circulation has seven runways.
That is why the adding of a third runway will prevent Britain from losing ground to airline hubs in Continental Europe. However, this idea as well as Mayor Sadiq Khan, who supports a proposal to enlarge Gatwick, face a lot of criticism because it can possibly jeopardize homes of those who live in near congested flight paths and cause a high level of noise.
During more than 10 years, the problem of ‘ghost flights’ – planes without passengers on them, has been generating tension around, however, the process of its solving does not leap forward smoothly as well. It exists, because of the Heathrow’s demand that claims that airlines are obliged to put into practice their slot about 80 percent of the whole time during a half of a year period.
Thus instead of unexpectedly canceled flights from London to Tashkent, Uzbekistan, the ‘ghost flights’ appeared. Some other airlines also introduce low-priced flights in the winter frequently to reassure they completely use their slot. Eventually, British Mediterranean Airways ‘ghost flights’ after a long period of losses were sold.
As the BBC states, each 140-mile flight releases 5 tons of CO2 in the atmosphere. Consequently, last month, this fact stirred up a feud that induced environmentalists’ protests near the Houses of Parliament. This animated striking against environmental and noise pollution is dissected in the episode below by Half as Interesting channel on YouTube.
Due to the exacting Heathrow’s policing of runway rights, nearly every day, the commercially inviable British Mediterranean Airways have nearly empty flights from London to Cardiff or Wales with the return on the following day, for the sake of crew members only.
According to Jalopnik, the plan of a third runway for Heathrow Airport has already been taken forward to get round the ‘ghost flights’ that hamper functioning, but environmentalists set up an uproar over this topic.
Consequently, the 650 flights a day are unreasonably expensive and complicated to come by. They are inclined to set high prices when they are traded and sold. In contrast, a couple of years, Oman Air, gave $75 million for a prime early morning slot.
Mr. Khan said that it would be a critical moment and that he would do everything required for improving the poor London transport connections to prevent Londoners from polluted air and disruptive noise exposure.
In addition to this protest, supporters of the historical destinations like Harmondsworth, a medieval village, are standing against the airport further building.
