The united Kingdom's transport secretary, Geoff Hoon, has confirmed that the government supports the development of a third runway at London's Heathrow Airport. Residents, environmentalists, and more than 50 members of parliament oppose the expansion. However, the transport secretary has indicated that the expansion is crucial for the nation's long-term economic health. It is estimated that the expansion will increase the number of flights at the airport from its current level of 480,000 a year to 702,000. Strict measures would be implemented to ensure that only the newest and least-polluting aircraft would be able to use the new slots created by the additional space. The announcement marks the beginning of the planning process, which is expected to be lengthy, and work is not expected to begin on the runway until 2015 at the earliest. Approximately 700 homes would need to be demolished to create the necessary space for the runway.
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