Business leaders back runway extension plans
10.01.08
Local business leaders have backed Birmingham Airport's plans for a runway extension that would allow flights to more long haul destinations to operate from the hub.
The airport announced earlier this week that it has submitted a planning application to Solihull Council to extend its runway by more than 400 metres. If approved, this would allow planes to carry extra fuel so that they could fly direct to distant destinations such as Japan, Australia and the west coast of America, which cannot currently be reached by direct flights form the hub.
Supporting the application, local business leaders stressed that the region must have its own 'global gateway' if it is compete on an equal footing with other cities in the UK and around the world to attract investment.
Alan Durham, a director of Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said the scheme would provide new opportunities for the region. The airport hopes to complete the runway extension and associated works, including a new control tower, in time for the 2012 Olympic Games. It faces opposition from green campaigners including Friends of the Earth and Birmingham Anti-Noise Group.
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