Are new airports and runways really necessary?

Ministers often try and pursuade people that new airports and runways are inevitable.

They say there will be increasing demand for air travel over the next 30 years. But you can create demand for anything if it's sold cheaply enough.

Airlines and airports get over £9.2 billion a year in tax breaks and subsidies - including paying no tax on fuel.

This is equivalent to nearly 3p on income tax. So it's not surprising there's an artificial demand for more flights.

We would not face these expansion plans if there was a reasonable rather than inflated level of demand to fly.

This means the aviation industry paying its way - including the real costs of the social and environmental problems it causes:

• Air and noise pollution
• Road traffic
• Climate change

Expansion plans lead to extra road traffic, new housing and loss of green fields.

We believe that the handouts the airlines currently receive would be better spent on alternatives - such as high speed rail, education, health and policing.

For more information contact AirportWatch.

The Government should support alternatives like high speed rail.

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