Processing Heathrow future - Open letter to 'influential MPs'

Recent announcement (Financial Times, 10/5/13)  that an 'influential committee' of MPs backed the case for a third runway at Heathrow demonstrated how strongly the airport’s past glory dominates the reality of decision makers gathered to decide its destiny. They are still talking about preserving the UK’s status as a ‘leading international hub’ (a title lost years ago), about Heathrow being the ‘jewel in the crown of international aviation’ (while it has long lost its shine).

Dear influential MPs,

Wake up, you are dreaming. Heathrow is not what it used to be a decade ago. Stop trusting distorted statistics. Hidden from your eyes are growing inefficiencies and unknown increase in operating costs related to disruptions - included are things like long schedule buffers, additional aircraft, crew and maintenance costs, unreported tarmac delays, and loss of revenue. You may be wondering how many Heathrow passengers experience unpleasant disruptions every year, but you wouldn't know it, as this has never been reported. Their numbers are counted in millions. If you want to learn what Heathrow is and what needs to be improved just look at what happened in December 2010 when the airport was paralysed for almost a week caught up unprepared for snow. About 800,000 passengers were affected, thousands of them in an unprecedented way. You won’t find this number in statistical reports, but can work it out logically. If you do, you will start to feel what the politics of ‘growing quantity ahead of quality’ really means. This is more real than any speech or statistical report about Heathrow performance you have ever come across. And this is more real than what you were able to see during the London Olympics in summer 2012. Don’t feel ashamed for not knowing – the shame is not-wanting to know. So, go and see it, experience it. Get closer to real life because, even if your plans to build the third runway go ahead, it won’t be ready before the turn of the next decade. How many passengers will suffer from previous neglects in the meantime? How many people living around Heathrow will be exposed to even more environmental and noise pollution during that time? Before embarking on a final decision, try to work out how big their threshold of tolerance is. It is your chance to make things right this time. And never forget that airports cannot exist without passengers.  

Related articles:

Beyond Heathrow Disruptions
Politics and media mix on Heathrow future
The airport lesson
Future of London airports in fantasies

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NOTE: In reply to my open letter, a representative of the Transport Committee pointed out that Committee’s inquiry looked at most of the issues I raised and published them in their Aviation Strategy Report, Chapter 3 in particular.The link to this document is published in my post "The most comprehensive impromptu ‘course’ in aviation strategy, flavored with business and politics mix"