Gatwick bosses claim family holidays would be £120 cheaper with extra runway
Chairman Sir Roy McNulty promised to cap landing fees in key pledges to David Cameron
HOLIDAYS for a family of four would be £120 cheaper if a new runway is built at Gatwick rather than Heathrow, airport chiefs claimed last night.
The getaway bonus is part of a last-ditch appeal from Gatwick bosses to David Cameron urging him to back their project as his “legacy” to the British people.
The PM is under pressure to end years of dithering and choose which of the two airports to expand shortly after the EU referendum on June 23.
Piling on the pressure to choose Gatwick, airport chairman Sir Roy McNulty wrote to Mr Cameron last night setting out eight pledges they are prepared to make.
It includes a vow that passenger charges like landing fees will be capped at £15 – far below the £30 expected at Heathrow.
An airport source said that would save a family of four at least £120 compared to expanding Heathrow as passengers are hit on take-off and landing, and save fliers £1 billion a year overall.
The letter also appeals to Mr Cameron’s vanity by vowing to begin work on a new runway before he leaves office in 2020 – and get planes flying before the following general election in 2025.
And it promises no taxpayers’ cash will be needed to deliver the project – in contrast to massive funding needed for roadworks around Heathrow.
Gatwick chief executive Stewart Wingate said: “This would be a great legacy for the Prime Minister.
“He would be able to break ground on a new runway before the next general election, and whoever is Prime Minister after him would be able to open the new runway before the following election in 2025.”
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But Heathrow strongly disputed the claims last night, claiming its passenger charges would be no higher than £24 by 2030.
That is despite the fact the Airports Commission predicted they would be between £28 and £30.
A Heathrow spokesman said: “Gatwick’s figures are simply not true and have no grounding in reality.
“The Airports Commission confirmed that a third runway would deliver ‘more substantial economic and social benefits than any other shortlisted option’ and that it can do so ‘most easily and quickly’ than any other option, with ‘all passengers benefiting from enhanced competition’ - we will deliver on that.”