Airport expansion: It's build, build, build in much of the world - BBC News

Airport expansion: It's build, build, build in much of the world - BBC News:



"A three-year review into the future of air travel around London is due to finish with the recommendation that a new runway be built at one of two existing airports. But while the capital gingerly edges towards airport expansion, other parts of the world are witnessing a massive airport building boom.



Along the Black Sea coast, 21 miles (35km) from Istanbul, an army of trucks and construction workers are labouring round the clock to build one of the world's biggest airports. The project was only announced two years ago by the Turkish government and yet it's due to open in 2018. Once fully complete, it will boast six runways and cater for 150 million passengers a year, travelling to 350 destinations. Or to put it another way, it will have more than twice the capacity of London Heathrow.



Never mind its size, the speed of this project alone is breath-taking. In the UK's South East region, on the other hand, it has taken several decades - and many official reports - to decide where to build a new runway. As the latest independent commission prepares to deliver its proposals, how are other countries managing the rise in air traffic, and is the growth in passengers really set to go on and on?"



'via Blog this'