Independent
Simon Calder
05 December 2024
Exclusive: A second runway is the ‘obvious choice’ for economic growth, says Gatwick’s CEO Stewart Wingate, as he calls on the government to give the go-ahead
During the election campaign, Sir Keir Starmer said he wanted to “kickstart economic growth to secure the highest sustained growth in the G7”. The mission was toned down when in government to “deliver economic stability”. But the ambition to get the economy growing rightly remains and attention is now turning to how the government can enable the private sector to play its part.
The Chancellor’s Mansion House speech was a positive step to outlining how to stimulate this growth, but any changes will take time before we see payoffs. The government has a golden opportunity to accelerate progress, if it is prepared to act promptly and decisively to facilitate privately funded projects and investment that can deliver benefits quickly.
At London Gatwick, we believe we can be a major part of that drive for growth. London’s airports are already reaching capacity and demand is forecast to grow by more than 30 million passengers by 2030. We are already full at peak times.
