Ready for take-off: Why Birmingham airport is a sensible alternative to Heathrow

The controversial third runway at Heathrow may make the headlines but, from a West Midlands perspective, the plan to extend Birmingham airport's runway is a far more important alternative for the future economy of the region and Britain, according to Birmingham International Airport chief executive Paul Kehoe. Kehoe gives a seemingly unanswerable economic argument for the Birmingham option. "Heathrow's third runway would cost in the order of £6bn and passenger numbers would rise from 90 million to 120 million a year," he says. "With the £120 million runway extension here, we would go from nine million to 30 million passengers. "We would get two-thirds of the numbers of extra passengers Heathrow would get for less than 2% of the cost. You wouldn't have the social upheaval of closing villages and knocking down schools. Nobody will have to leave their homes for the runway extension." A longer runway at Birmingham would simply mean aircraft can take off with more fuel, reaching transatlantic destinations. "You will have exactly the same aeroplanes you have today," says Kehoe. "But with that 400 extra metres taking the runway to 3,000m, they can fly 2,000 miles further and reach Beijing and the west coast of the US. The runway extension is a vital component of the West Midlands economy." Opened in 1939, Birmingham is one of Britain's most appealing airports with its neatly designed terminal buildings, uncongested access roads and ample room for expansion. The airport needs only £25m from outside sources for its £120m scheme. But it also has to overcome the fact that EU legislation doesn't allow direct state aid to commercial projects. "We are still exploring funding opportunities to find the extra £25m," says Kehoe. "£120m is a big burden for a small company that only turns over £100m." If the Conservatives were to win the general election, they say they would drop the Heathrow scheme. Kehoe hopes a national strategy will emerge, promoting regional airports – and thus his runway extension – to help ease congestion at Heathrow and elsewhere in the south-east. The advantages are clear, he says. "Once you have the extension in place, you are not marketing Birmingham airport. We are marketing the economic opportunity that is the West Midlands." Jerry Blackett, of Birmingham Chamber of Commerce and Industry, adds: "Of the 12 fastest growing economies in the world, you can only reach half from Birmingham International Airport. You are missing out China, parts of India and the west coast of America." Weblink Birmingham airport: bhx.co.uk