HC Deb 04 November 1998 vol 318 cc565-6W
Mr. Colman

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans exist to review the passenger capacities of Stansted and Gatwick Airports. [57421]

Ms Glenda Jackson

In the White Paper "A New Deal for Transport: Better for Everyone", the Government undertook to develop a new national airports policy. Reviewing airport capacity in the south east will be a key part of that.

An order under section 32 of the Airports Act 1986 currently limits the annual number of passenger air transport movements at Stansted to 120,000. An application was made by BAA plc to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on 8 October for the limit to be increased to 185,000. I understand that BAA plc has also applied to Uttlesford District Council for detailed planning permission for capacity expansion. If both applications were successful, BAA plc estimate that this would enable them to increase passenger throughput from the current 5.47 million a year to 15 million.

Passenger air transport movements are not limited by order at Gatwick, although the Government do impose restrictions on night time movements. In the short term, while the new national airports policy is developed, any expansion of capacity at Gatwick would be something for BAA plc to propose.

Mr. Colman

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what was the actual level of passenger movement at(a) Stansted and (b) Gatwick Airports in 1997. [57420]

Ms Glenda Jackson

According to figures collected by the Civil Aviation Authority, Stansted handled 5,426,859 terminal and transit passengers in 1997 (being an 11.6 per cent. growth over 1996 levels), and Gatwick handled 26,959,015 (being a 10.8 per cent. growth).

Mr. Colman

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what was the passenger capacity at(a) Stansted and (b) Gatwick Airports in (i) 1997 and (ii) 1998. [57419]

Ms Glenda Jackson

Passenger air transport movements at Stansted are capped by an order under section 32 of the Airports Act 1986. Since 1996, the ceiling has been 120,000 movements a year. On present assumptions about aircraft size and occupancy levels at Stansted, that equates to something in the vicinity of 8 million passengers.

No such order exists in respect of Gatwick. Gatwick Airport Ltd's Airport Development Strategy anticipates that terminal capacity limitations would, on the basis of existing infrastructure, constrain passenger throughput at around 35 million passengers per year.