London Mayor slams Government for 'crazy' approach to capacity

UK's Mayor of London Boris Johnson called on the Government to stop its "craziness" over its refusing to discuss new airport capacity in England's south east (Travel Mole, 16-Mar-2011). Mr Johnson again warned that a lack of new runways would hurt London's long-term competitiveness. London Heathrow Airport fell from the world's second-busiest airport in 2009 to fourth in 2010. Heathrow Airport's director of policy and political relations, Nigel Milton, agreed. Mr Johnson also criticised the increasing cost of aviation taxation.

London Heathrow Airport: "Heathrow's position in the global rankings shows a worrying trend and is a direct consequence of the airport being unable to develop new routes. We believe that London needs more airport capacity to strengthen the trading links on which future economic growth depends, and we welcome the Mayor's comments." Nigel Milton, director of policy and political relations. Source: Travel Mole, 16-Mar-2011.

Mayor of London: "I think it is an absolute disgrace that you are seeing a kind of bourgeois repression of people's ability to take holidays and I think it is a matter of social justice that we look at aviation capacity in this country," Boris Johnson, Mayor. Source: Travel Mole, 16-Mar-2011.