News Content

UK forwarders 'mad as hell' as government dallies on London runway

FREIGHT forwarders in the United Kingdom frustrated by the lack of progress in the government making a decision on whether to build a third runway in London at either Heathrow or Gatwick to expand air cargo capacity, are said to be "mad as hell and they're not going to take it anymore".

This was the gist of a statement made this week by the British International Freight Association (BIFA) in support of criticism lodged at the UK by the House of Commons Transport Committee, reported New York's Air Cargo World.

"The 1,500 companies within BIFA share the Transport Committee's belief that the delay risks damaging UK economic growth by deterring investors uncertain about the future of Britain's communications," said BIFA director general Robert Keen.

"BIFA agrees with the Transport Committee that the UK must stop dithering make a decision and set out a timetable for completing the project."

The earlier statement by the Transport Committee criticised the government for dragging the decision process out over whether to add a new runway to Heathrow or Gatwick airports over several months when the Airports Commission had already recommended last year that Heathrow would be the best expansion option.

"Like the Transport Committee, we accept that the package of measures to mitigate environmental impacts needs careful consideration and further work," Mr Keen continued. "We do not accept that all of this needs to be done before a decision is taken on location. In fact, a decision on location would give more focus and impetus to this work."