Expanding Heathrow will put London at greater risk of plane crashes, says Lord Bamford
The JCB chairman warned that building a third runway at Heathrow posed a potential threat to millions of people beneath the flightpath because it would allow more flights over central London.
Lord Bamford said he had become concerned about the risk of an accident in the capital after a passenger jet was hit by a military helicopter over Washington last week, closely followed by a crash in Philadelphia involving a medical flight. A total of 74 people were killed.
In a letter to The Telegraph, he said: 'It's time for a rethink. If it happened in Washington DC, albeit over the Potomac River, and two days later in a residential area in Philadelphia, couldn't it happen in London?'
The Tory peer said he was less worried about the noise impact of expanding Heathrow, but more concerned about the 'risk to life' from planes following the Thames through the heart of London for several miles when coming into land.
He said: 'I know of very few, if any, capital cities in the world where commercial airliners fly directly over the city centre or city suburbs on their approach to or take off from international airports.'
It comes after Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, urged Heathrow to revive expansion plans that were shelved during the pandemic, adding the Government would support an application for a third runway as a vital contribution to economic growth.
Lord Bamford proposed a redevelopment of Stansted, a low-cost base for carriers including Ryanair owned by Manchester Airports Group, as an alternative to expanding Heathrow.
While transforming Stansted into a hub would require infrastructure enhancements, including a second runway and improved public transport links, such a solution would take flights over urban areas largely out of the equation, he argued.
Lord Bamford added: 'Maybe it's time to make Stansted airport the principal international gateway airport serving London, instead of Heathrow, taking commercial airliners away from the densely populated city centre and London suburbs.'
On Tuesday, Stansted launched a consultation on plans to lift annual passenger numbers to 51m, from a current cap of 43m, without adding more flights. It attracted almost 30m passengers in 2024.
With the development of an alternative hub, Heathrow could cease operations, Lord Bamford said, creating a 3,000-acre site that could accommodate much-needed housing.
Heathrow said it is focused on moving ahead with its plans and declined to comment further.
Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Washington Post
26 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Taliban say efforts to release a British couple from Afghan prison not yet complete
ISLAMABAD — The Taliban said Wednesday that efforts to free a British couple from an Afghan prison are not yet complete and denied that their rights were being violated despite concerns from their families and U.N. officials. Peter and Barbie Reynolds , who are in their 70s, were arrested in early February after being taken from their home in central Bamiyan province to the capital, Kabul.

28 minutes ago
Turkey and Britain sign preliminary deal for Eurofighter Typhoon jets
ANKARA, Turkey -- ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey and Britain on Wednesday signed a preliminary agreement for the sale of Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets to Turkey, a significant step in Ankara's efforts to modernize its air fleet. Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler and his British counterpart, John Healey, inked a memorandum of understanding during a defense industry fair in Istanbul, Turkey's Ministry of National Defense said. NATO member Turkey has long aimed to buy 40 Eurofighter jets, which are built by a consortium of British, German and Italian companies. Germany reportedly initially opposed the sale but later reversed its position. Britain led negotiations on behalf of the consortium. A Turkish defense ministry statement said the memorandum takes the two countries 'one step closer to a full agreement on the Typhoon.' 'Both Ministers welcome signature as a positive step towards bringing Turkey into the Typhoon club and share a mutual ambition to conclude the necessary arrangements as soon as possible,' it added. Turkish officials have said that they are still negotiating over pricing and technical terms, saying that they have received an initial offer and expect to submit a counter-proposal. Turkey is also seeking to return to the U.S.-led F-35 fighter jet program, from which the country was ousted in 2019, following its purchase of Russian-made S-400 missile defense systems. The U.S. said the systems posed a risk to the F-35s. Turkey is also developing a domestic fifth-generation fighter jet, the KAAN, which is slated to be operational in 2028.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Kemi Badenoch plays down prospect of leadership coup after Tory reshuffle
Kemi Badenoch has played down the prospect of a coup after unveiling her revamped Conservative top team. The Tory leader said she was not 'paying any attention' to reports that backbenchers are already plotting to oust her, less than a year after she was elected. The New Statesman reported that many Tory MPs who backed Mrs Badenoch in the leadership contest have privately turned on her, and believe her core team of advisers are 'lightweights and sycophants'. Faltering Conservatives may seek to trigger a vote of confidence in their leader in November, once a grace period protecting her from such a move ends, the magazine said. The claims came to light a day after Mrs Badenoch reshuffled the senior Tory ranks, appointing former minister Sir James Cleverly as her shadow housing secretary. Asked about suggestions that Tory MPs were already plotting a coup, Mrs Badenoch told the PA news agency: 'I would say that if nobody put their name to it, then I'm not paying any attention to it. 'People have been saying that about every single leader, and it's usually the same one or two people who say it about every single leader.' Speaking during a visit to a housing development in north-west London alongside Sir James, Mrs Badenoch added: 'I've been elected to get the Conservative Party back on track, and I'm very focused on doing that. 'We lost to a historic defeat last year for many reasons, not least of all, house building, not doing as well as it could have done.' The New Statesman said Mrs Badenoch had criticised her predecessor Rishi Sunak for making an early exit from D-Day commemorations in France during the 2024 general election campaign, and that she believed the gaffe was central to the party's loss. The magazine also claimed to have seen a notebook containing her handwriting, which included affirming phrases like 'You are a serious person who does big things', and suggesting the Tory leader was 'the standard bearer of the right'. Mrs Badenoch's team denied that she had lost any such notebook. In his first full day in the job, shadow housing secretary Sir James accused the Prime Minister of being more interested in finding accommodation for asylum seekers than 'hard-working young people'. He said he was 'furious' when the Prime Minister 'blithely' said there are 'plenty of houses' around the UK for asylum seekers. Sir Keir Starmer insisted there was 'lots of housing available' to accommodate rising numbers of homeless people and asylum seekers when he was questioned by senior MPs earlier this week. Sir James told Times Radio: 'I was furious, I genuinely couldn't believe he said this, when the Prime Minister was at the Liaison Committee and blithely said, 'Oh, there are plenty of houses around the UK for asylum seekers'.' Sir James also said he understands the frustrations of local people when asked about demonstrations outside hotels believed to be housing asylum seekers. There has been a series of protests outside the Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex, since an asylum seeker was charged with sexual assault. His new role makes him the opposition counterpart to Angela Rayner in her housing, communities and local government brief, but not in her deputy prime minister post. Ms Rayner said on Tuesday that immigration was among issues having a 'profound impact on society' as she updated the Cabinet on her work on social cohesion. Sir James was also asked for his view on the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) after Mrs Badenoch launched a review and said she was 'increasingly of the view' that the UK should withdraw. He would not say whether he agreed as he toured broadcast studios on Wednesday morning. Mrs Badenoch told broadcasters: 'James and I have always had the same position on the ECHR, and that is that if we need to leave, then we should leave, but it's not a silver bullet. 'That is why we have a commission on this very issue, which will be reporting at party conference. 'So I wouldn't bring someone into the shadow cabinet if they didn't agree with me.'