UK Treasurer Pimping "Sustainable" 3rd Runway At Heathrow Cites Study: Who Commissioned The Study? Heathrow Airport

Rachel Reeves was facing criticism on Saturday night as it was confirmed that a report she cited as evidence that a third ­runway at Heathrow would boost the UK economy was commissioned by the airport itself. Experts and green groups also challenged Reeves’s view that advances in the production of ­sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) had been a “gamechanger” that would substantially limit the environmental damage of flying, ­saying the claims were overblown and did not stand up to scrutiny.

In a speech in Oxford heralding her commitment to “leave no stone unturned” in the search for economic growth, the ­chancellor said a new runway would create 100,000 new jobs and connect the UK “to emerging markets all over the world, opening up new opportunities for growth”. She added: “According to the most recent study from Frontier Economics, a third runway could increase potential GDP by 0.43% by 2050”. In addition, “60% of that boost would go to areas outside London and the south-east,” she said.

The Frontier Economics consultancy has since confirmed to the Observer that it had been commissioned by Heathrow to write the report, which it insisted had been an entirely independent exercise. Heathrow confirmed it had asked Frontier Economics to do the work. It has published an ­executive ­summary online, not the entire report.

The New Economics Foundation (NEF) thinktank ­criticised the chancellor on Saturday night for the ­justifications she gave for backing a third ­runway, saying it also believed the methodology used had ­previously been judged unreliable by the Department for Transport.

EDIT

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/feb/01/reevess-heathrow-third-runway-report-was-commissioned-by-london-airport