Heathrow Says Coronavirus Could Delay Runway by More Than Five Years

(Bloomberg) --

London Heathrow airport's expansion could be delayed by five years or more as result of the coronavirus outbreak, according to its chief executive officer.

A third runway aimed at lifting capacity at Europe's busiest hub to 142 million passengers annually will probably now be needed “in 10 to 15 years' time, if we are successful in rebooting the U.K. economy and getting us back to full strength,” John Holland-Kaye told lawmakers Wednesday.

The $20 billion landing strip had been due to open in 2028 or 2029, though that was already in doubt after a court ruled in February that the U.K. government failed to take full account of international climate change accords when backing the plan.

“My focus is solely on protecting jobs, protecting our business and serving the country at the moment,” Holland-Kaye told a House of Commons transport committee hearing.

Airlines around the world have grounded fleets in response to the pandemic, with Heathrow reduced to a daily trickle of flights. Holland-Kaye said the airport will need to reach decisions about job cuts within weeks, though it has enough cash to survive for about a year at current levels of spending.

Read: London Heathrow Airport Trials Technology to Reduce Virus Risk

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