Airports Commission (United Kingdom)

Airports Commission (United Kingdom)
Name	Airports Commission
Formed	2012
Dissolved	2015
Jurisdiction	United Kingdom
Headquarters	London
Chief1 name	Howard Davies
Chief1 position	Chair
Parent department	None

Airports Commission (United Kingdom) The Airports Commission was an independent commission established to examine options for maintaining the United Kingdom's status as a global aviation hub. Chaired by Howard Davies, it conducted a comprehensive review of airport capacity, produced interim and final reports, and made recommendations that influenced debates in Parliament of the United Kingdom, Mayor of London offices, and the aviation sector.

Background and Establishment

The commission was created in 2012 by then Prime Minister David Cameron and Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne to address capacity constraints affecting Heathrow Airport, Gatwick Airport, and regional airports such as Manchester Airport, Stansted Airport, and Birmingham Airport. Its formation followed prior studies including work by the Airports Taskforce and discussions involving figures like Sir Howard Davies (chair), and debates in the House of Commons and House of Lords over proposals from private entities including Heathrow Airport Holdings, Gatwick Airport Limited, and airport consultancies such as Stanley Consultants and Arup Group. Concerns raised by campaign groups including Plane Stupid and environmental organisations such as Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace shaped the political context.

Membership and Organisation

The commission was chaired by Howard Davies and included commissioners with backgrounds from institutions like the Bank of England, Civil Aviation Authority, University of Cambridge, and the Institute for Public Policy Research. Members included advisers drawn from entities such as KPMG, PwC, RPS Group, and consultancies linked to SNC-Lavalin and Amec Foster Wheeler. Secretariat support came from civil servants seconded from the Department for Transport and experts with connections to International Air Transport Association and Airbus and Boeing industry stakeholders. The organisational structure featured working groups and panels liaising with local authorities including Wandsworth Council, Richmond upon Thames London Borough Council, Surrey County Council, and regional agencies like Transport for London.

Mandate and Terms of Reference

The commission’s terms of reference tasked it to assess a range of options to meet the United Kingdom’s long-term aviation capacity needs, examining expansion at hubs such as Heathrow Airport and Gatwick Airport and the potential for a new hub airport analogous to models used at Dubai International Airport and Singapore Changi Airport. It was instructed to consider environmental liabilities tied to UK Climate Change Act 2008 targets and noise impacts documented by authorities including the Civil Aviation Authority, and to balance economic benefits citing reports by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the International Monetary Fund against local planning regimes like the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.

Studies, Options and Evidence Base

The commission commissioned analyses from firms and institutions including Steer Davies Gleave, Oxford Economics, Imperial College London, University of Westminster, Cambridge Econometrics, and Mott MacDonald. It evaluated shortlisted options including a three-runway expansion at Heathrow Airport proposed by Heathrow Airport Holdings and two-runway expansion at Gatwick Airport promoted by Gatwick Airport Limited, plus proposals involving Thames Estuary Airport concepts advanced by figures such as Lord Foster and proponents citing precedents like Kansai International Airport. The evidence base incorporated noise contour modelling, carbon projections aligned with Committee on Climate Change guidance, and international comparisons referencing Frankfurt Airport, Charles de Gaulle Airport, and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.

Recommendations and Final Report

In its 2015 final report the commission recommended a northwest runway at Heathrow Airport as the preferred strategic option and advised supporting measures including surface access improvements tied to projects such as High Speed 2 and enhancements to Heathrow Express and Elizabeth line. The report recommended a phased approach with environmental mitigations informed by Committee on Climate Change thresholds and proposed governance mechanisms involving stakeholders such as Local Enterprise Partnerships, Greater London Authority, and affected boroughs including Hillingdon London Borough Council and Spelthorne Borough Council.

Political and Industry Reactions

Reactions spanned political parties and industry groups. Conservative Party politicians including Boris Johnson and Theresa May expressed positions through Mayoral of London venues and national debates, while Labour Party figures such as Ed Miliband and Jeremy Corbyn engaged in the Parliamentary response. Airport operators Heathrow Airport Holdings and Gatwick Airport Limited issued statements, as did trade bodies including Airlines UK, International Air Transport Association, and unions like GMB and Unite the Union. Environmental NGOs including Friends of the Earth and ClientEarth challenged aspects of the commission’s carbon assumptions, and local councils such as Wandsworth Council and Surrey County Council mounted legal and planning objections.

Legacy and Impact on UK Aviation Policy

The commission’s work influenced government decisions and planning frameworks under successors including the National Planning Policy Framework and policy statements debated in the House of Commons Transport Select Committee and among mayors of London. Its recommendations affected investment planning by Heathrow Airport Holdings, prompted legal challenges in tribunals involving parties like Save Our Seats and influenced surface access projects such as Crossrail extensions and High Speed 2 routing. The Airports Commission’s methodology has been cited in subsequent reviews by the Civil Aviation Authority and academic evaluations at institutions including London School of Economics and Oxford University.

Category:United Kingdom transport commissions