We are delighted to announce that Theresa Villiers MP, Minister of State for Transport will give the keynote address at this conference

UK aviation strategy is at a crossroads.  The Government now accept the case for increased hub capacity in the South East and are prepared to look at a number of options including new runways at Stansted and Gatwick as well as a new airport in the Thames Estuary.  However a 3rd runway at heathrow has been ruled out. 

This timely conference will address the key questions that this change in policy direction will pose :

• Will Heathrow have to close to make a new Thames Estuary airport viable?
• What would be the impact on business's  that have made location decisions based on being accessible to Heathrow?
• Will there be an impact on the investment that is currently planned for Heathrow?
• What are the implications for the Government's plans to connect Heathrow with the HSR network?
• How insurmountable are the objections to a Thames Estuary airport: cost to the taxpayer, catastrophic bird strikes, proximity to Schipal airspace?
• What happens if our national carrier, International Aviation Group, refuses to move from Heathrow as their chief executive, Willie Walsh, has intimated? 
• Will moving our hub airport from west to East London result in a welcome redistribution of economic activity?
• Is Gatwick a serious option for a hub airport when a 2nd runway is the maximum expansion possible?
• Is Stansted a more likely option?
• Why has a Thames Estuary airport been ruled out in previous Government consultations over the past 60 years?
• Even if Heathrow were to be allowed to build a 3rd runway how much time would this buy when it's competitors already have 5 or 6 runways?