Heathrow expansion - key facts about congestion

We believe that the environmental impact of expansion is clear - more flights equals more primary and secondary pollution.

Our view

We believe expansion at Heathrow would be detrimental to the environment as:

• It would mean up to 220,000 additional flights each year
• Aviation alone already accounts for 6% of our national CO2 emissions
• Extra flights could mean an increase to 53 million road users by 2030
• Nitrogen Dioxide levels around Heathrow already breach EU standards; this would only get worse with increased numbers of flights and cars
• Air pollution is very bad for our health, linked to issues such as respiratory problems, heart disease and cancer

Additionally, the increase in passenger numbers could lead to:

• An already busy road network becoming progressively more overwhelmed and gridlocked
• Public transport becoming even more crowded and unreliable

Pro-expansion view

However, pro-expansion supporters may argue that:

• Airport pollution would stay within EU limits due to future improvements in aircraft emissions
• Environmental impacts can be limited through schemes such as carbon trading
• Congestion can be lessened through investment in transport infrastructure