Willie Walsh, former CEO at BA and now IAG’s CEO, warns that the proposal to link Heathrow and Gatwick via a high speed rail could be inefficient and costly. He expressed concerns about how the high speed rail link would be funded and describes the proposal as ‘sub-optimal’.  The warning followed confirmation by the UK Department of Transport that a high speed rail service linking Heathrow and Gatwick is being considered by ministers to maximize capacity.  The £5bn service, dubbed ‘Heathwick’, would enable travelers to get from Heathrow to Gatwick in just 15 minutes via 180mph trains that would travel underground along the M25, departing every 5 minutes. The virtual hub between airports is expected to ease capacity problems currently faced by the aviation industry. All this talk – imagine what £5bn could buy in terms of another runway at both London airports. Planes are getting cleaner and quieter. Why is this so hard for UK politicians? Where’s the vision?  Where’s the taxpayer value for money?

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