True or false

DURING recent years we have heard much from BAA concerning the benefits a Stansted Airport, about 40 per cent bigger than Heathrow is at the present time, will bring us but what is true or false about what we are being told? BAA says that airport expansio

DURING recent years we have heard much from BAA concerning the benefits a Stansted Airport, about 40 per cent bigger than Heathrow is at the present time, will bring us but what is true or false about what we are being told?

BAA says that airport expansion is good for our economy; FALSE.

The Government's statistics show the net balance of payments from tourists using aviation is over £18 billion in the RED. If this is good for our economy, what is bad?

BAA closes its eyes to the increasing number of people using cars to get to and from the airport;

TRUE. Recent information shows there are more cars going to and from the airport than ever before and there is nothing to suggest this trend will ever change.

BAA would like us to believe that low air fares are allowing a much higher proportion of low income families to fly more often; FALSE. CAA recently announced that the current passenger income profile is no different since before low fare flights were introduced, it is the wealthier few who are mainly using cheap flights.

BAA tell us that aviation is the minority contributor to the growth of climate change emissions; TRUE.

What they don't tell is that aviation is the fastest growing contributor to climate change emissions and, based on current trends, will be the major contributor in about 30 years, maybe much sooner.

Ray Woodcock

Chapel Hill

Stansted Mountfitchet