The Scottish government has added its voice of support in backing a third runway at Heathrow Airport, saying it could create up to 16,000 new jobs in Scotland and develop Glasgow Prestwick Airport into a logistics hub.
It says it backs the expansion because expanding Heathrow offers significant job creation and major investment opportunities as well as providing Scottish airports with more runway capacity. As part of the plan, Glasgow Prestwick would have the potential to be developed as a logistics hub.
Scotland’s economic secretary, Keith Brown says though Gatwick Airport’s plans for a second runway are highly commended, Heathrow would bring more benefits for Scotland.
He says: “We have been clear from the start of this process that we wanted the best deal for Scotland and building a third runway at Heathrow provides the most significant benefits to the country’s economy and connectivity.”
He adds: “The potential for a logistics hub to be based at Glasgow Prestwick Airport is also an important part of the Heathrow offer.”
“It would support the pre-fabrication of components for the construction phase, with potential for future work beyond the launch of the third runway, bringing strong economic benefits to the airport and the wider Ayrshire economy.”
Heathrow Airport chief executive officer, John Holland-Kaye says: “This partnership demonstrates how Heathrow expansion can work for every region and nation of the UK. Now is the time for the UK Government to make the right choice and back Heathrow.”
