‘No further delay’ call

MPs voted by a strong majority on Monday night (June 25) to back building a third runway at London’s Heathrow airport.

Unite is the biggest union at Heathrow representing over 34,000 workers who ease the passage of people and goods from one of the world’s busiest airports to destinations as far afield as Anchorage and Sydney.

The union has long been campaigning for Heathrow expansion, which will create about 100,000 jobs and benefit the wider UK with additional internal flights throughout the country.

Unite London regional secretary Peter Kavanagh hailed the vote.

“Heathrow expansion will secure tens of thousands of jobs and an economic boost not just for London and the South East, but for the rest of the UK too,” he said. “This overwhelming vote in favour by MPs is a big step in making that a reality and ensuring Heathrow does not lose its competitive edge as a global hub to Amsterdam, Paris or Frankfurt.

“Aviation is a central part of the UK economy, connecting us to the rest of the globe and sustaining the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of people across our four nations,” he added. “Unite will be working to ensure that the UK remains a global leader in aviation and that Heathrow expansion is done in a sustainable way that meets the stringent environmental targets that have been set.

“The government must now play its part and ensure there is no further delay by fast forwarding Heathrow expansion to free up the extra aviation capacity the UK has desperately needed for decades.”