CO2 blow for the environment as millions forced to drive to London airports

Bristol Airport's reaction to North Somerset Council's Planning & Regulatory Committee decision
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We are disappointed by the decision of North Somerset Council’s Planning & Regulatory Committee to recommend refusal of our planning application to increase Bristol Airport’s capacity from 10 to 12 million passengers a year, contrary to the recommendation of the Council’s own planning officers.

This decision risks putting the brakes on the region’s economy by turning away airlines who want to serve the South West market, shutting the door to international trade and tourism at a time when the UK needs to show it is open for business.

By preventing Bristol Airport from meeting demand for air travel from within the region it serves, the Council will simply exacerbate the situation which already sees millions of passengers a year form our region drive to London airports in order to fly, creating carbon emissions and congestion in the process.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Could be a problem twice over for West Country travellers. If Heathrow is not allowed to expand with a third runway (Johnson is opposed according to past comments) and BRS's expansion rejection is not overturned, not only will short-haul be unable to grow at the local airport but neither will long-haul at what is de facto the West Country's long-haul airport.

At least that would not increase car journeys to Heathrow by much but car journeys to other short-haul airports might increase instead. There is not much to be positive about for local travellers if these two scenarios came about.

I'm not normally a fan of all things gravitating to London but Heathrow is all we have in this part of the world - with one or two small exceptions - when it comes to direct long-haul.