Billionaire in rival scheme to run Heathrow third runway project

THE battle to oversee Heathrow's multibillion-pound third runway project has intensified after a challenger confirmed it will lodge a proposal to compete against an anticipated bid from the airport's existing management.

- ALI LYON

The Arora Group, which operates a hotel empire comprising 13 properties across transport hubs in London and the South East, has announced it will submit a proposal to oversee the approximately £21bn scheme, setting up a direct confrontation with current operator Heathrow.

The alternative plan, branded Heathrow West, presents what it describes as a "cost-efficient solution" for the contentious expansion that the Government endorsed in January as part of a series of infrastructure initiatives designed to revitalise Britain's struggling economy.