Contrary to expectations, the British Civil Aviation Authority has not approved the plan to build a new airport in London. Until now, many believed that the project for the third air gate of the British capital would become a kind of competitor to the new Istanbul airport.
While construction of a third international airport has already begun in Istanbul, London authorities have been arguing for years about whether the British capital even needs another airport.
According to information provided by the British economic journal Financial Times, the opinions of the city council members are divided - some argue that Heathrow Airport is no longer able to cope with the annually increasing loads, while others believe that building an additional terminal at Heathrow is enough to ensure passenger flow.
The main supporter of the idea of building a new airport is the current Mayor of London Boris Johnson. It was he who at one time approached the British Civil Aviation Authority with a ready-made project for an additional capital airport. However, despite all efforts, the project was considered insufficiently justified, and its implementation was denied.
"Does it make sense to build such a huge airport on the banks of the Thames? Can it meet the needs of Londoners? The idea itself is one big question mark," said Sir Howard Davies, speaking on behalf of the Civil Aviation Commission.
The cost of the London airport project, by the way, is approximately 90 billion pounds sterling (about 150 billion dollars).
