BA chief condemns Tory 'confusion' on Heathrow

In the most savage attack on the Conservatives by a business leader to date, the BA chief executive said the party's aviation policy was "all over the place".

Referring to the Tories' drive to win key marginals in west London, he said: "The Conservatives may have an election to win. But they must not forget that if they are successful, they will have a country to govern."

He warned that opposition to a third runway at Heathrow would damage the national economy and condemn air travellers to decades of delays.

Shadow transport secretary Theresa Villiers stunned London's business class this week with an announcement that the next Tory government would cancel the third runway scheme.

She unveiled alternative plans for a multi-billion-pound scheme to build a high-speed rail link between London, Birmingham and Manchester.

But in a reference to Boris Johnson's own plan to close Heathrow altogether, Mr Walsh said the Tories as a party were mired in confusion - with some opposed to expansion, others wanting to build a new national hub in the Thames Estuary and a third group backing a new runway.

The Standard revealed yesterday that some shadow cabinet ministers worry that the new policy will needlessly cost the party credibility with business.

Speaking in the City, Mr Walsh said: "The latest idea that a rail link from Leeds and Manchester to Heathrow would be an adequate substitute for a third runway beggars belief.

"Flights to Manchester and Leeds are less than three per cent of Heathrow's current operation. The runway capacity this would free up would be swallowed almost immediately by natural growth. And even this tiny and temporary benefit would not be forthcoming until 2027.

"So the Conservatives apparently want to undermine the UK's efforts to succeed in a global economy - and condemn Heathrow to permanent status as the most delay-prone airport in Europe."

Mr Walsh added that, without extra runway capacity, Heathrow will never have any slack in the system and "the tiniest disruption will cause knock-on delays all day". The BA chief pointed out that two weeks ago, 100 leading companies made a public declaration of support for a third runway.

"High-speed rail should be seen as complementary to air travel, not a substitute for it. That is why Paris Charles de Gaulle and Frankfurt airports already have high-speed rail links," he said.

A third runway would provide a 40 per cent increase in capacity that would make room for more flights to Asia and South America, he added.