Heathrow expansion risks deepening London's air pollution crisis

A third runway could throw air quality standards and UK climate targets to the wind

The UK government's Airports Commission has recommended that a new runway at Heathrow should go ahead, but only with a legally binding commitment to control air and noise pollution.

If the government decides to act on Howard Davies' recommendation (and doing so would be a political minefield) Londoners will be forgiven for treating any air quality guarantees with a heavy pinch of salt.