The current availability of airport capacity has been identified as an important constraint on the ability to meet the increasing demand for air travel. In many cases airport capacity is already fully used in meeting current demand. At Heathrow and Gatwick airports the runways are full for "… virtually the whole day". In 2003 the runway at Birmingham airport was expected to reach full capacity by 2009 at the latest, whilst terminal capacity at Edinburgh airport had reached its limit.The Future of Air Transport, para. 2.11–2.12, p24 Government forecasts that year suggested that by 2030 the number of passengers could rise to between 400mppa (million people per annum) and 600mppa, representing a two- to threefold increase, and a figure of 500mppa by 2030 was regarded by the Government as "robust".The Future of Air Transport, para.2.8, p23The Future of Air Transport, para. 25, p154 In 2006 the Government reported that at 228mppa the demand for air travel the previous year was in line with the 2003 forecast, but also revised the forecast demand for 2030 downwards to 465mppa as a result of capacity constraints, even taking into account proposed airport developments.Air Transport White Paper Progress Report 2006, paras. 4.4 & 4.11
