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Pilots’ union welcomes further progress on Heathrow expansion

The British Airline Pilots’ Association (BALPA) has welcomed the Government’s announcement that it is outlining the next steps in the expansion of Heathrow.

It has been over a year since the Government announced its support of expansion at Heathrow, yet so far, no firm decisions have been made over how and when this will happen.

BALPA says expansion in the South East is imperative to sustaining our current aviation industry, as well as supporting future growth.

BALPA General Secretary, Brian Strutton, said:

“We’re glad the Government is moving forward with long overdue expansion plans.

“Heathrow is already pretty much at capacity and we’re concerned that we could lose out to other large European airports such as Charles De Gaulle or Schiphol if capacity isn’t increased.

“Post-Brexit we need to ensure we encourage international business in the UK and one of the key components of this is efficient transport links.

“We’re encouraged to see that the Government is also acknowledging expansion in Heathrow is not enough and that the other South-Eastern airports will need extra capacity in the coming years.

“We would remind the Government that our regional airports should also not be overlooked.”