Heathrow says rise in passengers backs case for new runway

[LONDON] Britain's biggest airport, Heathrow, served 3.4 per cent more passengers last year, an increase the airport said bolstered its case for a new runway.

Heathrow, situated west of London, is at the centre of a long-running political tussle over airport expansion in the south-east of England. It was shortlisted last year as a location for a new runway.

The chief executive of Heathrow Ltd, Colin Matthews, said on Monday that the airport was serving more passengers from countries in Asia and Latin America. "We would have more flights to those countries if we had more capacity," he said in an interview. "With more capacity, we would make a bigger contribution to UK GDP."