The pro-business advocacy group was responding to a new report from the London Assembly's Transport Committee that suggested using existing capacity in a smarter way may be the most cost-effective solution to the city's aviation needs.
The Assembly report said at Stansted Airport, 47% of runway slots are available, with 51% of slots at Luton and 12% at Gatwick also available.
It said that while Heathrow is at 99% capacity, some evidence submitted suggests increasing aircraft size would allow it to increase capacity.
The report says improving transport access from central London to Gatwick, Luton and Stansted is needed to encourage people to switch from using Heathrow.
Baroness Jo Valentine, Chief Executive of
London First, said:
“The Assembly is right that there is capacity for more flights at some of London’s airports – London is open for business, but it could be more so.
“The extra capacity will fill quickly and capacity constraints at Heathrow – which is full – in turn restrict choice for airlines and passengers now; as do the arcane constraints on Stansted and Gatwick which limit their flexibility to compete for growth.
“Ultimately, we need at least two further runways somewhere in the South East, but in the immediate future we need to free up Stansted and Gatwick to compete and to use Heathrow’s two runways more intensively so that we can create the best conditions for the London and the UK’s growth.”
The report reveals that in 2010, 127 million people used London’s airports and 78% flew direct to their destinations rather than use the airports to transfer.
85 million passengers were from the East or South East England and 47 million were travelling to or from a London borough.
75% of flights from Heathrow, the UK's only major international hub airport, are short haul and London remains the best connected European city across the 23 fastest growing economies.
Data published by the Committee shows that London’s airports predominantly serve local geographic areas and therefore local demand may be a major influence in determining where airlines chose to fly.
The Government has set up an Airports Commission to examine the need for additional UK airport capacity and recommend to government how this can be met in the short, medium and long term.
Caroline Pidgeon, Chair of the Transport Committee, said:
“Evidence we received shows that the Airport Commission must examine whether better use of existing airport capacity could be an intelligent cost-effective alternative to building new airports or runways.
“The need for additional hub capacity is also under debate, with strong data showing rather than runway capacity limiting airlines ability to fly to emerging markets, it could be low passenger demand from each airport’s geographical area. As 700,000 residents already suffer from noise pollution as a result of Heathrow flights, we also hope that any plans to expand Heathrow can soon be laid to rest.
“Currently London sees 130 million passengers traveling through our airports each year. The challenge for the government and decision-makers is to find the best way to support the UK’s economy globally while ensuring Londoners are not adversely affected by worsening noise and air pollution from planes flying over the capital. In the short term using existing capacity in a smarter way may be the most cost-effective solution.”