Court of Appeal decision means a 3rd runway at...>

UK: Court of Appeal decision means a 3rd runway at Heathrow airport (the UK's

1st and Europe's 2nd busiest) is not going to be built.

- Expansion ruled illegal because the plan did not take into account the gov'ts

commitments to stopping global warming. 

- Gov't has not submitted an appeal to the Supreme Court, meaning PM Boris

Johnson does not have to follow through on his commitment made years ago to 'lie

down in front of the bulldozers' to stop the 3rd runway (Johnson's constituency

is located near to the airport). 

- UK's airport infrastructure remains chronically short of capacity to cope with

increasing passenger numbers. 

- No additional capacity at Heathrow could see expansion of Gatwick or Stanstead

near London, or more focus on regional airports (would tie into gov'ts plans to

'level up' the country as a whole).