Did anyone see this coming? I think you could have safely predicted a big lift-off in passenger numbers at London’s airports after Covid restrictions were lifted as sun starved holidaymakers got back in the flying habit after two summers of grumpy family staycations under gloomy British skies.
But that would be a temporary catch up phenomenon that would have topped out once the pent up demand had been met...right? Far from it. On the contrary the British public appear to have discovered a new found enthusiasm for foreign travel that runs counter to the prevailing wisdom about the hard pressed consumer reining in spending.
Just look at today’s frankly remarkable numbers from Heathrow. Almost eight million passengers passed through the hub in August, its fourth consecutive record breaking month this summer. That puts the running 12 month total at 82.6 million and means Heathrow is well on track to set a new traffic record in 2024.
The airport also set records for its busiest ever day (18 August) and its busiest ever week (13 to 19 of August.) The Taylor Swift concerts alone accounted for 40,000 extra passengers.
The airport can cope with the boom for now, but capacity limits will be sorely tested again soon if these trends continue. And that can only mean one thing. The third runway scheme, officially under review since the outbreak of the pandemic, will come back into play.
It will be a big shout politically and economically but it is hard to see how Labour’s growth agenda can be achieved without the bold large scale infrastructure projects that Heathrow expansion represents.Clearing it for take-off will of course unleash a huge campaign of opposition from residents across a swathe of west and south west London, much of it now in Labour hands.
It will be a long and bloody battle but the political playing field has palpably tilted back towards economic growth - and away from the green agenda - since it was last up for discussion.
