Mayor of London appoints Atkins to deliver key strategic hub airport role

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has appointed Atkins to play a leading role in a world-class team of experts helping develop plans for a multi runway hub airport in the south east.

Commenting on the appointment, Mike Pearson, UK director of airports, Atkins said: “This project is not purely about the creation of a new hub airport, it’s about forming the foundations for London’s future development and reaffirming the UK’s position as a key international centre.

“It will fundamentally shift the debate on UK aviation once and for all, providing both a convincing and compelling case for how international air connectivity is critical to underpinning the UK economy, as well as driving wider regeneration. After helping deliver a successful London 2012 Games, Atkins’ experts will now be leading the master planning, architectural design, engineering, surface access and environmental assessments for this landmark project.”

Atkins, the UK’s leading design, engineering and project management consultancy, will lead three of the projects’ six work packages – Airport Design and Infrastructure, Surface Access and Environmental Impacts. The company will also collaborate with Zaha Hadid Architects and Pascall+Watson on some elements of the Airport Design and Infrastructure package.

David Tonkin, Atkins’ UK chief executive officer, added: “We have been working internationally with airport owners, airlines, governments, lenders and construction companies for more than 50 years to create world-class airports. We are confident the experience and expertise we have will help the Mayor shape a clearer vision for the future of aviation in the south east.”

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: “It is absolutely imperative that work to progress a new hub airport in the southeast is completed as soon as possible. The Government has set a timetable that dawdles when dash should be the order of the day. That is why I have assembled a mighty team of experts who I have tasked with delivering a fulsome examination of the most realistic solutions to our aviation crisis in the shortest time possible, which I look forward to sharing with the Government.”

Around 15 different proposals for a new hub airport in the southeast have already been made public. The Mayor has consulted on criteria that will be used to evaluate each of those proposals and to form a shortlist of options. That shortlist is expected to be announced within weeks and the team now assembled by the Mayor will combine their expertise to produce detailed feasibility studies of the shortlisted options that the Mayor will submit to the Davies Commission.