BA's owner says Arora's plan for shorter third runway at Heathrow is ‘credible'
The former is proposing to build a shorter, 2,800-metre (9,186ft) runway so the M25 motorway does not need to be diverted.
His Arora Group company claims this would result in 'reduced risk' and avoid 'spiralling cost'.
In contrast, Heathrow is seeking permission for a full length, 3,500-metre (11,482ft) runway.
It says a short runway would reduce operational flexibility, and still require either additional capacity on the M25 or alternative rail schemes.
British Airways is the largest airline operating at Heathrow.
Mr Gallego said: 'We need to work closely with both parties to understand better what they have proposed because the proposals are not comparable.'
He said they are 'different solutions that we need to analyse'.
Mr Gallego said the proposals are 'credible' (Maja Smiejkowska/PA)
Mr Gallego added: 'We have two credible proposals.
'We always think that competition is good to improve things, and we have seen that in commercial aviation in the past.'
Mr Gallego continued: 'We need to work with both of them. We don't have any preference.
'We only want to build something affordable that'll allow everybody to have more passengers, but they don't have to pay the level they are paying today.'
He said a change in Heathrow's regulatory model is required if a third runway is to be built, as 'this level of investment is not possible with the current one'.
Heathrow said its runway and airfield plan would be privately funded at a cost of £21 billion.
Its total plan, including terminals and supporting infrastructure, would be expected to cost £49 billion.
Mr Arora's plan has a cost estimate of under £25 billion, not including the redevelopment of the airport's existing central area.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander will consider the third runway plans over the summer so that a review of the Airports National Policy Statement (ANPS) can begin later this year.
The ANPS will provide the basis for decision-making on any development consent order application.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Glasgow Times
15 minutes ago
- Glasgow Times
Hamilton consultancy Inspirent expands into private sector
Inspirent has supported the Scottish Government for years but will now offer its services to private sector SMEs under the direction of chief executive Liz McCutcheon. The firm will launch a series of one-to-one sessions covering marketing, finance, growth, and IT audits. Ms McCutcheon said: "Almost six years ago, when I stepped into the role of CEO, I recognised a significant opportunity to evolve our business. Read more: Man who died after incident on major road pictured by police "With over three decades of expertise in supporting organisations, it became clear that our knowledge and approach could benefit a wider audience, particularly SMEs. "These businesses often don't want a large consultancy firm; they need an approachable, experienced partner who understands the unique challenges they face. "That's what we've become. "We are proud to now offer practical, hands-on support designed to help small businesses overcome implementation challenges and drive sustainable growth. "This shift reflects our ambition to build long-term resilience by diversifying into the private sector while staying true to our values of putting the client at the heart of everything we do." The one-hour sessions will be delivered by Inspirent's team of business growth specialists and are designed to provide honest, actionable advice. Sessions will be available online across the UK or in person at Inspirent's headquarters at Barncluith Business Centre in Hamilton. For more information, go to Marketing audits will be led by Donna MacLeod and Keith Parsons, who said the sessions will give businesses clear, practical advice. They said: "The audits offer a no-nonsense, expert review of a company's business activities to drive growth and success. "For example, the marketing audits are ideal if business owners are spending time or money on marketing but not seeing results, unsure what's actually working in their current approach, or thinking about hiring help, but want to know where to focus first."
The National
22 minutes ago
- The National
UK Homelessness Minister 'evicted tenants and hiked rent to £4k a month'
Homelessness Minister Rushanara Ali kicked out four tenants from her townhouse near the Olympic Park before re-advertising the same four-bedroom property at an increased price, according to an investigation by the i newspaper. The MP for Bethnal Green and Stepney has previously been vocal on renters' rights and has spoken out against 'private renters being exploited". READ MORE: As Ian Blackford considers a return, it's time to look at political comebacks Under Labour's Renters' Rights Bill, the Government plans to bring the private rented sector within the minimum standard set for social housing, and would ban landlords who end a tenancy to sell a property from re-listing it for six months. According to the i, a source close to Ali said the tenants had been informed their tenancy would not be renewed by email and were instead offered a rolling contract. They were reportedly told the rolling contract was necessary as the property was put up for sale. Tenant Laura Jackson, a self-employed restaurant owner and one of four people who rented the property, told the paper: 'It's an absolute joke. Trying to get that much money from renters is extortion'. At the time of ending the tenants' contract, the firms which managed the property also attempted to charge Ali's tenants nearly £2000 for the house to be repainted and £395 for professional cleaning. Under the Tenant Fees Act 2019, landlords are prohibited from charging their tenants for professional cleaning, and are prohibited from charging tenants to repaint a home unless serious damage has occurred. Jackson said: 'It was really stressful. It was so much money – nearly £500 each! The property was not clean when we moved in; it was ridiculous and unfair.' The fees were dropped once Jackson told the agencies they knew their landlord was a Labour MP, she said. 'If we hadn't known the charges were unlawful, we would have had to pay them. It's exploitative.' Jackson added: 'I just think it's morally wrong that MPs can be landlords, especially in their own area. It's a conflict of interest.' READ MORE: Yvette Cooper under pressure to grant UK visas for 80 Palestinian students After failing to find a buyer, the house was re-listed for rent at £700 a month more, the paper reports. A spokesperson said: 'Rushanara takes her responsibilities seriously and complied with all relevant legal requirements.' Momentum, the network of activists that grew out of Jeremy Corbyn's first Labour leadership election campaign, reacted to the news: "This Government has got its priorities wrong. "It was quick to suspend four MPs for standing up for disabled people. But when the Cabinet minister for homelessness evicted her tenants to increase rents, it stays silent." Conservative MP Ben Obese-Jecty said: "Rushanara Ali's position surely cannot be tenable. She must resign."
Leader Live
33 minutes ago
- Leader Live
Homelessness minister faces criticism over hiking rent after removing tenants
Four tenants who rented a house in east London from Rushanara Ali were sent an email last November saying their lease would not be renewed, which also gave them four months' notice to leave, the i newspaper reported. Ms Ali's property was then re-listed with a £700 rent increase within weeks, the newspaper said. A spokesperson for the minister said: 'Rushanara takes her responsibilities seriously and complied with all relevant legal requirements.' The house, rented on a fixed-term contract, was put up for sale while the tenants were living there, and it was only re-listed as a rental because it had not sold, according to the i. But the minister's actions are now facing scrutiny from rental rights campaigners, as the Government seeks to clamp down on what it sees as unfair rental practices. The Renters' Rights Bill includes measures to ban landlords who end a tenancy to sell a property from re-listing it for six months. The Bill, which is nearing its end stages of scrutiny in Parliament, will also abolish fixed-term tenancies and ensure landlords give four months' notice if they want to sell their property. Ben Twomey, chief executive of Generation Rent, described the allegations as 'shocking and a wake-up call to Government on the need to push ahead as quickly as possible to improve protections for renters'. He added: 'It is bad enough when any landlord turfs out their tenant to hike up the rent, or tries their luck with unfair claims on the deposit, but the minister responsible for homelessness knows only too well about the harm caused by this behaviour. 'These allegations highlight common practices that the Government can eradicate. 'The Renters' Rights Bill would ban landlords who evict tenants to sell the property from re-letting it within 12 months, to deter this kind of abuse – but unfortunately members of the House of Lords have voted to reduce this to six months. 'The Government can also use its review of the deposit protection system to penalise landlords who make exaggerated claims at the end of the tenancy.' Tom Darling, director at the Renters' Reform Coalition, said: 'It's mind-boggling that we have a homelessness minister who has just evicted four people in order to rake in more rent – something that will soon be illegal under the Renters' Rights Bill her own department is bringing through Parliament. 'The Government are currently considering an amendment to the legislation from the House of Lords which reduces the ban on re-letting after eviction from 12 months to six months. 'The Government must remove this amendment, and at the very least minister Ali must recuse herself from any discussions on this within Government.' Speaking to broadcasters, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper insisted Ms Ali had not breached any rules. 'I don't know any of the details of this, but I understand that she has followed all of the rules in this case,' Ms Cooper said. Shadow housing secretary James Cleverly told the i that Ms Ali should consider her position as a minister, as the allegations 'would be an example of the most extreme hypocrisy'.
