Star Alliance backs Cliffe
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: West Country
Posts: 1,271
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Star Alliance backs Cliffe
From The Daily Telegraph
Supporters of the plan for a new London airport in north Kent received a boost yesterday when the world's largest airline alliance said it would be willing to operate there.
The Star Alliance, which consists of 15 of the biggest international carriers, voiced approval of the proposal for a four-runway 24-hour hub at Cliffe, despite the location's remoteness in comparison to Heathrow.
British Airways, which heads the rival Oneworld airline grouping, has made clear that it would shun Cliffe unless the Government forces operators to shift by closing Heathrow.
Star's declaration, made at a meeting of chief executives in Rio de Janeiro, is important for the credibility of the north Kent scheme, which critics say would struggle to achieve commercial viability.
The cost of the development, including new road and rail links to central London, is estimated at more than £13 billion. Attracting private sector funding for the project would prove impossible if airlines were showing no enthusiasm for it.
The Star Alliance, which consists of 15 of the biggest international carriers, voiced approval of the proposal for a four-runway 24-hour hub at Cliffe, despite the location's remoteness in comparison to Heathrow.
British Airways, which heads the rival Oneworld airline grouping, has made clear that it would shun Cliffe unless the Government forces operators to shift by closing Heathrow.
Star's declaration, made at a meeting of chief executives in Rio de Janeiro, is important for the credibility of the north Kent scheme, which critics say would struggle to achieve commercial viability.
The cost of the development, including new road and rail links to central London, is estimated at more than £13 billion. Attracting private sector funding for the project would prove impossible if airlines were showing no enthusiasm for it.
