Following so soon on the back of the Mayor’s new study on increasing airport capacity in and around London, the City of London Corporation (CoLC) through its latest report, argues (quite incredibly!) for an immediate increase in airport capacity at Heathrow by switching to the practice of “mixed mode” operations on the two runways.  This new practice would permit the use of the two runways for both take-offs and landings.   Currently each runway is restricted to one or the other.  This would immediately increase flight numbers from 480,000 to 525,000 flights annually and would, no doubt, be music to the ears of BAA, the operators of Heathrow although this concept is no stanger to BAA which already have in place similar concepts in the form of  TED (Tactically Enhanced Departures) and TEAM (Tactically Enhanced Arrivals Mode).  Typically the CoLC have ignored resident’s views on this despite the obvious extra aircraft noise this new practice would generate, particularly in the West London surburbs.  The Mayor’s study has clearly opened up the debate on aviation in London, so much so, that some, like the CoLC, feel confident enough to reignite debates which we all thought were finally  put to rest.  The  idea of Heathrow expansion is back again, this time in the guise of changing operations in order to accomodate new capacity.  It will only be a matter of time before someone, perhaps one of the Mayor’s business allies utilises this opening created by the Mayor’s report to argue the case for a third runway at Heathrow  yet again?