Cardiff is part of Heathrow's solution

¦ SIR - Following the statement reportedly made by the UK's Minister for Transport to the Abta Travel Matters event in London last Thursday that ruled out a third runway at Heathrow I should like to revisit the subject of Cardiff Airport (Letters, March 15).

At the same event, the deputy chairman of Transport for London, reportedly said: "We need to get real about the need for a new hub. Heathrow is not a fully fledged hub and never will be."

He added that a Thames Estuary airport could be built within three years, given enough political will and that Heathrow would remain open "for high-end leisure." A DfT spokesman is reported as saying: "There is cross-party consensus that a third runway at Heathrow is not the answer."

As for Heathrow, the chief executive of the owner, BAA, said: "Aviation capacity constraints are damaging the UK economy today when we can least afford it - business connections to fast-growing countries like China are being rationed when they should be boosted. None of the options for new capacity is easy but surely the pros and cons of all possible solutions should be carefully considered?" I understand that Carwyn Jones has been in talks with potential buyers of Cardiff Airport interested in a publicprivate partnership, with the Welsh Government taking a stake.

The Welsh Government should push the development of Cardiff Airport as a solution to be considered, so that the electrified line between South Wales and Paddington would be used to ferry overseas passengers to and from Cardiff Airport and not to and from Heathrow.

This could result in Cardiff Airport either being a fully fledged hub, or, if not that, one that would supplement London as something less, with Schipol possibly being the main hub for air travel alone out of South Wales as it now is.

DEREK GRIFFITHS Llandaff, Cardiff