In recent weeks Boris Johnson has come under increasing pressure to abandon support for a new airport in the Thames Estuary as an alternative to further expansion of Heathrow.
In 2008 the Mayor commissioned Doug Oakervee to conduct a preliminary feasibility study into the possibility of locating a new airport in the Thames Estuary.
In January 2009, after a visit to the potential site of the airport, the Mayor said his trip had “reaffirmed in my mind that a new airport in the Thames estuary has got to be factored in as an option for London’s long-term aviation needs.”
The scheme is opposed by local councillors, environmental groups and, according to research published by Medway Council, major airlines using Heathrow Airport, including British Airways and Virgin Airlines.
