HC Deb 10 June 2003 vol 406 c738W
Mr. David Stewart

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made on the effect in terms of air traffic movements if the Crawford arrangement of Heathrow airport were ended. [118346]

Mr. Jamieson

Ending the restriction on easterly departures from Heathrow's northern runway, known as the Cranford Agreement, would not on its own have any effect on the runway capacity of the airport. To raise the capacity of Heathrow's existing runways by the introduction of a "mixed mode" pattern operations would require termination or amendment of the runway alternation scheme and the Cranford Agreement. The Government have no plans to introduce mixed mode.