Aircraft safety

SIR, - At Harpenden Town Council's public meeting last Thursday about Luton Airport's Project 2030 which includes a new runway, I pointed out that the current runway at Luton is only 2,160 metres long whereas Nice and Stansted are 3,000 metres and Munich 4,000 metres. The proposed runway would be 3,000 metres. Longer runways enhance safety if a take-off has to be aborted. So a longer runway at Luton is desirable on safety grounds. However let us demand from the Government that: 1.) No planes at Luton should be larger than the Airbus 321 or the Boeing 737 which are single-aisle, narrow-body planes holding up to 150 passengers. 2.) No flights beyond Europe. 3.) Reduce the number of flights by banning private flying, including executive jets and planes with fewer than 30 seats as was suggested at San Francisco Airport six years ago. Noise would thereby be reduced. I am aged 69 and before the meeting a smartly-dressed, intelligent man of 81 spoke to me. Most of the people in the audience looked to be in our age range. Most of these people probably prefer to stay at home or take holidays in the Cotswolds rather than to take flights from Luton. Many of the younger people in Harpenden use Luton Airport for business flights and also probably enjoy flying to fun places in Europe. TONY HALL, Manland Avenue, Harpenden.