Half-price Heathrow Airport rival plan unveiled

Wealthy hotel owner Surinder Arora has unveiled plans for new terminal buildings at Heathrow Airport, as part of his bid to deliver airport expansion.

With its Western Hub proposal, the Arora Group claims it can deliver extra passenger capacity at half the cost of Heathrow Airport’s present plan.

The plan drawn up by international airport architect Corgan and US engineering giant Bechtel has won the support of the BA, Air Lingus and Virgin Atlantic.

Last week Heathrow Airport Limited called for companies to bid to partner with it on various parts of the expansion scheme.

Arora said this was a step in the right direction but did not go far enough in guaranteeing a truly competitive expansion and wants to run its new terminal as an independent third party.

Arora’s estimated cost for a new runway and Terminal 6  to is £14.4bn. This compares with HAL’s plans that were costed by the Airports Commission at £31bn.

It argues that HAL’s recent “indications” of “£14-15bn” were misleading because they failed to meet the 130 million passengers per annum target.

HAL will need to invest further in existing terminals in the east to meet the full target.

The cheaper proposal is to concentrate new terminal capacity on the western side of Heathrow, between the existing Terminal 5 and the M25.

This avoids HAL’s more expensive and costly plan to expand existing terminals in the Heathrow central area (Terminals 2 and 3).

Instead of new, independent terminal buildings, the Western Hub integrates new passenger facilities with T5 into a single hub campus for 85m passengers.

The central concourse would provide fast and easy access to both Terminal 5 and to the new Terminal 6, with a long elevated central bridge concourse offering panoramic views over the airfield for passengers, and free movement of aircraft below.

The plan includes a new integrated rail/air interchange within the central concourse, linking Heathrow to existing and new rail networks.

Surinder Arora, Founder & Chairman of the Arora Group, said: “Our approach has been to work closely with airlines and to employ the world’s best and most experienced airport designers and these benefits are clearly evident in our Western Hub plans.

“Heathrow has been in monopoly control for too long and our proposals show what can be achieved through an alternative approach and Heathrow fully welcoming competition.”

 

 

 

 

 

from
http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2018/05/03/half-price-heathrow-airport-rival-plan-unveiled/