London mayor Boris Johnson is again pressing for an airport to be built in the Thames Estuary, but the picture which accompanies this raises many questions.

I am an aircraft pilot and not against planes in general, yet this plan would intrude into the river, narrowing it by a third.

This would narrow the busy waterway by a hazardous amount, pushing large tankers and container ships closer together. With a new port being built and traffic to the oil refinery, the river will be busier than ever.

The square, blunt end of the design would cause dangerous cross-currents, pushing smaller craft into the path of larger vessels.

The enormous amount of material tipped into the river to build up the airport would pollute the water, poisoning the fish and shellfish. Because of dredging for the new port, local businessman Philip Miller already has worries about the quality of the water he abstracts from the Thames for his aquariums.

We are told London is below high water level at high tides. Narrowing the river by a third would impede the drainage of flood tides.

More importantly, to build more runways such a short distance from Southend Airport would bring the constant danger of a mid-air collision.

Southend’s main runway is angled at 240 degrees towards the river, and aircraft now turn out towards the south, away from built-up areas.

If the new airport was built, this would bring them into conflict with aircraft using the runways Lord Norman Foster proposes to build in the river.

Local councils in Kent have consulted their electorate on this matter and have found they are overwhelmingly against this proposal, and they have told the Government so.

Tim Healey
Sunny Road
Hawkwell