Heathrow lifts forecasts ahead of Davies report
Heathrow has hit back against its rival Gatwick by upgrading its profit forecast and predicting that an extra 300,000 passengers will pass through its terminals this year.
Both airports are hoping to get the backing of Sir Howard Davies’ Airports Commission, which is expected to publish its final report next week and recommend one of three options: build a new runway at Heathrow; expand one of the existing two there; or build a second runway at Gatwick.
On Thursday the chief executive of Gatwick, Stewart Wingate, warned that approval for Heathrow would be a “retrograde step” and “politically undeliverable” because of bitter opposition from senior ministers with constituencies under the flight path.
He said: “We’re expecting that Davies, rather than making the same mi...