Just like Olympics, Heathrow will be UK success story, says Heathrow Chairman

In his first speech since the government’s decision to back a third runway, Heathrow Chairman Lord Deighton said work can now get underway for an airport Britain could be proud of.

In his first speech since the government’s decision to back a third runway, Heathrow Chairman Lord Deighton said work can now get underway for an airport Britain could be proud of.

He will use his experience to ensure Heathrow delivers its plans on time, on budget and to design, while mitigating environmental impacts – the same guiding principles which made a success of London’s 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games.


Speaking to delegates at the British Chambers of Commerce’s Global Business Network, Lord Deighton said Heathrow expansion – the largest privately funded project in Europe – will set an example for other major infrastructure projects to follow by:

• Using a decentralised procurement strategy which will make the most of Heathrow’s expansion spending, 95% of which will be with the British supply chain and 60% outside of London

• Growing Heathrow’s successful Business Summits to give British SMEs front-line access to Heathrow’s biggest suppliers

• Creating a Skills Taskforce – chaired by Lord David Blunkett – to plan and deliver a skills pipeline that could benefit future British infrastructure projects



• Meeting environmental standards, and making sure expansion is fair to those living closest to the airport

Speaking to delegates, Lord Deighton said:

“It’s been a very long journey, but the government could not have been clearer that Heathrow expansion is the right choice for the UK.
We now have a truly national consensus in backing a new runway at Heathrow. What’s now needed is to make sure work can get underway as soon as possible and I am absolutely determined to ensure this happens. We will give our country an airport they can be proud of.”

Heathrow is already one of the most experienced infrastructure delivery companies in the UK, having invested £11bn over a decade to transform into the independently recognised best hub airport in Europe. It includes a new Terminal 2 and Terminal 5, both delivered on time and on budget and the latter of which has been voted by passengers as the best in the world four years in a row.

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Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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