Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has urged politicians to look seriously at the option of a new airport in the Thames Estuary, after he visited the potential site with distinguished engineers and Labour MP Nick Raynsford, chair of a new cross-party parliamentary group on the proposal.

The group sailed out into the Thames Estuary aboard a 122 metre dredger to see the potential options for themselves. Joining the Mayor was Doug Oakervee, the distinguished engineer who masterminded Hong Kong's island airport and who is currently working on a report for the Mayor into whether a site in the estuary is feasible. Alongside him was Dr Graham Plant, a chartered civil engineer, who has worked on the design and implementation of civil engineering and building projects across the world.

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The Mayor said: "This trip has reaffirmed in my mind that a new airport in the Thames estuary has got to be factored in as an option for London's long-term aviation needs. I am reassured by a number of aspects of this visit and will now eagerly await Doug Oakervee’s initial feasibility study."

Mr Oakervee said: "I'm encouraged - from an engineering perspective it is quite clear that the Mayor’s ambitions could be realised and the construction would be easier than other airports such as Chek Lap Kok in Hong Kong and Kansai in Japan.

"We have learned that there is a remote site where an airport could be built with minimal disruption to people of Essex and Kent. There are technical issues to be addressed but I see no overwhelming obstacle. We now need to work with other experts to address the challenges."

Mr Oakervee's report is expected to be completed around the end of March.

(CD/JM)