Heathrow says single hub is vital for Britain The report will say that if the hub is split, for example between Heathrow and Gatwick, that essential transfer traffic will be lost. The number of destinations served will therefore be cut, at a cost to British businesses. Other airports such as Birmingham and Stansted claim that they could take more of the forecast passenger traffic increase, taking pressure off Heathrow and meaning there would be no need for more runways at the congested airport west of London. But the Heathrow report will argue that such a plan would never work at "point-to-point" airports which rely on leisure traffic because they do not receive enough transfer passengers. "Direct and transfer passengers have to work together," said one source. Although Heathrow will not rule out a new hub in the Thames Estuary, the preferred option of the London mayor, Boris Johnson, the airport's owners will make it clear that if the hub moves, Heathrow will largely close. Although some have said Heathrow could operate as a slimmed down airport, officials pointed out that the site had huge transfer facilities which would have to be moth balled. Thousands of jobs would therefore be at risk.