Capital expenditure would rise if the airstrip had to meet certain standards on runways, such as length, width and requirements on runway end safety areas.

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Virgin and other carriers such as Singapore Airlines, Lufthansa and Emirates operate long-haul services, frequently using airports, such as London's Heathrow, where there are limited runway slots for take-off and landing.

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The rewards for the missions include currency or items you can wear, such as a tan neckerchief, a Mad Hatter-style hat, items that would send a designer packing in Project Runway.

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At the start of this year, he produced a study calling for either a four-runway hub airport on a new site in the estuary or increased capacity at existing airports nearby, such as Gatwick or Stansted.

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