The historic – and, some say, surreal – new coalition government now running Great Britain has quickly put a stop to a string of new runway projects at London’s airport.
Thousands, perhaps millions, will rejoice that plans for extra runways at London Heathrow and London Stansted were scrapped today by the new Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition.
Prime minister David Cameron and his former rival, now deputy, Nick Clegg also quickly axed the hugely controversial (at least as far as consumers and some in the travel industry are concerned) Air Passenger Duty, preferring to put the burden on the already under pressure airlines.
Nevertheless, the decision to halt development of new runways will end what have been two of the most vociferous and long-running campaigns against UK government transport policy for decades.
Residents and existing groups such as Greenpeace have spearheaded the campaigning and, for the first time, had the power of the web at their disposal.
A series of websites from campaign groups became the focal point for residents and other parties to create communities against proposals.
The impact of such sites has worked – the long-running StopStanstedExpansion site, for example, has featured highly in Google search for years.
More recently, social media has come to the fore.
A flashmob protest at the newly opened Terminal Five at London Heathrow in March 2008 was filmed and immediately put on YouTube immediately, since then attracting almost 70K views.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3z3DImohLU
Many Twitter users and blog owners will also have noticed how groups against expansion of London City Airport have tapped into the power of online monitoring, seeing their Tweets or posts instantly rebuffed or promoted to a wider audience.
There will, almost inevitably, be new projects to oppose.
Well done new govt. already handing potential business to all the would be hubs between US and Asia.
And the 70k online views were maybe by all the people who will now not be getting the new jobs it would have created or the 1 in every 943rd person that flew through LHR in 2009 and didnt think it need expansion.. Cant wait to see how the high-speed rail links will save the day.. visionaries..
Are you a member of New Labour? lol
most certainly not – I just see the increasing number of flights passing over the UK as lost revenue opportunities. as London is at capacity without another run-way and the highly profitable international passengers will not be switching to any high speed rail-link to edinburgh to make up their journey. other western european hubs and the middle east hubs will continue to develop their products who are no way near their actual capacity currently let alone with further investments. dont be under the illusion that if the uk does not host these flights that they will not happen – we will simply miss out on the potential revenue.