Responding to the publication of proposals for a third runway at Heathrow, Joji Waites, Director of Flight Safety at the British Airline Pilots’ Association (BALPA), said: 

“We’re pleased to see this big step forward towards a third runaway at Heathrow, which is essential to better meet existing – and enable future – demand for air travel.  

“What matters to us is that any plans are developed and delivered responsibly – that means putting safety first, committing to genuine environmental sustainability, minimising noise and disruption for local communities, and creating secure, high-quality jobs. It’s also crucial that this goes hand-in-hand with airspace modernisation. These new plans will need review, but assuming all those needs are met, this will represent significant progress for workers, passengers, and the UK economy.”