The Mayor’s Office hit back today after the Airports Commission boss accused Boris Johnson of “vulgar abuse” in a row over not shortlisting an airport in the Thames Estuary.
Mr Johnson’s masterplan for such an airport suffered a devastating blow when Commission head Sir Howard Davies raised a series of objections in his interim report. It warned of legal barriers to an estuary airport and said it could cost up to £112 billion, and would only be economically viable if the Government closed Heathrow.
Mr Johnson condemned the report over the weekend as “gloopy and tangled”, “perplexing” and “biased”.
At a hearing of the Commons transport committee, Sir Howard said: “I completely dismiss what the Mayor has said about our report. It’s completely at variance with what everyone else has said — transport correspondents, the airports themselves, other economists.” He added: “I will attempt to rise above this vulgar abuse and press on with the job.”
Before the committee hearing, Transport for London published a response to the report, claiming it placed too much weight on “accommodating short-term commercial interests”.
Daniel Moylan, the Mayor’s chief aviation adviser, said afterwards: “It’s disappointing that Sir Howard has ‘completely dismissed’ a detailed and professional critique of his Interim Report published by the Mayor’s aviation team only this morning.”
The commission shortlisted plans for another runway at Heathrow or Gatwick, and agreed to look again at a new airport on the Isle of Grain.
