Howard Davies’ commission’s shortlist for runway expansion in the south-east does not include Stansted. He has just published his interim report. The shortlist of three options has two at Heathrow and one at Gatwick. Heathrow could get a new runway to the north-west of the present airport or the doubling of the length of one of the existing runways. Gatwick could get a second runway. The commission says it wants to carry out more analysis on the proposal for a new airport in the Thames estuary favoured by London Mayor Boris Johnson.

Of course, it makes no difference to emissions  and climate change where extra airport capacity is located and where planes take off and land. Noise and urbanisation are significant downsides of airport growth on the immediate area. It looks like Howard Davies is not pushing more noise and urbanisation towards “the airport in the countryside” at Stansted. Most people round here will be more relaxed this Christmas.

Speaking on Radio 4’s “Today” programme at 7.30 a.m., Sir Howard said that Stansted is less popular with airlines than Gatwick. The current ban on extra runways at Gatwick expires in 2019. Its existing runway is nearly full, whereas Stansted’s is only half used and has capacity to expand without more runway capacity. As demand at Gatwick is stronger, it is on his short-list of an extra runway and Stansted is not.