British Airways has offered to foot the bill for knocking down up to 3,500 houses around Heath-row Airport for a new runway, Joanna Walters writes . The airline has told the Government and airports owner BAA that it would reimburse them for compensating any householders forced to move if a new runway was built in the south-east - but is known to be particularly keen on Heathrow.
The Government is 'evaluating' a new full-length runway at Heathrow to increase capacity to more than 100 million passengers a year. It would mean destroying 3,500 houses north of the airport, at a cost of at least £1 billion.
A mini-runway for short-haul flights, requiring demolition of just 'a few hundred' properties, and extra runways at Gatwick, Stansted and Luton are also being studied. The Government will decide whether to build a new runway next year, and will make no plans at Heathrow until it decides whether to give the go-ahead for Terminal Five. The BAA wants a new runway at Heathrow ruled out BA fears Heathrow could be overtaken by Paris and Amerstdam.
