Air chiefs tell Cameron: Heathrow must expand

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British Airways boss Willie Walsh and the new BAA chief Colin Matthews hit out at the Tory leader for dismissing the value of the airport's millions of transfer passengers.

Mr Matthews told the Evening Standard: "Transfer passengers, far from being a luxury, are essential to keeping vital routes to much of the world viable through London.

"Reduce the number of transfer passengers and you will reduce the number of flights to these destinations - meaning passengers would either have to wait longer before coming home or go via another European airport and then take a second flight to London.

"That would be bad for them, for their businesses and ultimately for this country, whether it is the capital city or the regions that depend on Heathrow as their connection to the world."

In his article for the Standard below, Mr Walsh criticises Mr Cameron for "insulting" transfer passengers as being worth no more to the economy than the price of a cup of tea.

Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly has also declared that there is "no substitute" to expanding Heathrow capacity.

Her comments at a London aviation conference left little room for doubt that the Government will back a third runway when it takes a formal decision in autumn.

"I am convinced that without additional capacity Heathrow will be at a huge disadvantage," she said.

Air industry sources, meanwhile, took exception to yesterday's report from business group London First which called for Heathrow to run at 94 per cent capacity rather than its current 99 per cent, which it said would cut delays by 15 per cent.

One Heathrow supporter said that was equivalent to axing 24,000 flights per year. "Which flights would be scrapped?" he asked. "Inevitably it would be short-haul flights to other UK destinations which means regional economies would instantly lose out."

The Conservatives have moved more firmly against a third runway after the former BA chief, Bob Ayling, came out against the big increase in transfer passenger for causing "Heathrow hassle".