UK Airports Commission receives proposal for international airport in the Severn Estuary

MSP Solutions submitted (07-Aug-2013) a plan to the Airports Commission on the construction of an international airport in the Severn Estuary, near Caldicot. The proposal requires investment of GBP5 billion and would take seven years to construction. Severnside Airport would replace those in Cardiff and Bristol, with the proposal stating this wouldwould solve both sites' "limitations" and allow for a much-needed expansion. The consortium's scheme would see Bristol and Cardiff airports shut by 2029 to make way for a larger airport, by the M4 and alongside the railway line, able to accommodate 38 million passengers p/a. MSP claims the plans are viable and in fact the only way forward for both South Wales and the South West. It said, "Both airports will tend to serve the same destinations. The concentration of all this traffic at a single site would allow a much greater choice of destination, higher frequency and operation of bigger aircraft offering lower pollution per passenger movement." The report also suggests that Bristol Airport's "limitations" and "confined" location would not allow it to expand, meet long-term demand or allow for the development of long-haul services. [more - original PR]