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FTA sees light at end of the airport tunnel
[ May 12, 2016 // Chris ]The Freight Transport Association (FTA) said it welcomed Heathrow’s airports response to the Airports Commission on 11 May including promises to limit night flights and steps to control emissions. It would bring the construction of a third runway a step closer.
The association’s comments coincided with a presentation at the Multimodal show in Birmingham on the future of airports in the UK.
Heathrow head of cargo, Nick Platts told the gathering that air freight had been pushed to the back of the queue for too long and its vital role role was all too often overlooked. He said its importance to the UK economy should be recognised and added that Heathrow was committed to creating a quieter, cleaner airport equipped to serve as a world class air freight hub for years to come.
Mr Platts said: “As an industry we need to collaborate more and engage with others regarding strategic issues so that the UK benefits and we can grow our exports. Heathrow recognises that we have a key role to play, and is looking for partners to transform cargo at the airport.
In July 2015, the Airports Commission identified a northwest runway at Heathrow as the best option for airport expansion in the south east but set 11 conditions on environmental and community impacts.
FTA’s director of global and European policy, Chris Welsh said he hoped that the announcement “will move things on after a long and frustrating wait.”