What Heathrow needs - improved customer service not add a third runway.

The government's attempts to get a third runway at Heathrow make no sense says Mark Chapman, the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary spokesman, in a letter sent to the Surrey Herald.

Dear Sir

The decision of the Committee on Climate Change this week to recommend that the third runway at Heathrow go ahead is deeply flawed.

The assumptions that this is based on bear no scrutiny. For example, it bases the projected growth rate of air travel on a trend from 1990 levels. Half of Europe gained access to air travel after the Berlin wall came down and this caused a huge spike in the figures. Yet the committee has persisted in using poor data on everything from passenger numbers to noise and air pollution.

BAA have done little to improve the performance of its airports. The new owners of Gatwick are confident they can quickly turn that airport into a much more airline and passenger friendly airport. BAA have yet to put any serious effort into this solution, believing they can just build their way out of trouble. Improved performance by BAA at Heathrow is needed now. Expansion is not.

Mark Chapman

Parliamentary Spokesman

Spelthorne Lib Dems