Windsor Berkshire

The business model for BAA is based upon getting ever more passengers and planes through Heathrow Airport . More planes means more opportunities to get money off the airlines who pay landing fees, parking fees and so on. More passengers means they can charge higher rents to the likes of sock shop and Avis for their shops and booths.

Therefore, last week's decision in the house of lords that heathrow cannot expand the number of flights is not the end of the issue. For BAA the issue will NEVER end. They will keep asking for more flights because they are competing in a capitalist market where you have to grow and give ever higher rewards to shareholders.

The only way to safeguard the future of the children living around Heathrow is to take the radical step of nationalising the airports. The government doesn't have to worry about share price and a nationalised airports authority could be tasked with ensuring the infrastructure of the nation's transport policy took precidence over profit.