A new advert claiming that a third runway at Heathrow will not make the airport noisier or dirtier has now been ruled misleading by the Advertising Standards Authority. They went on to claim that the ad was also misleading for claiming that the runway would not go ahead unless local air quality meets EU standards on concentration of nitrogen dioxide. This ad has now been placed in many papers by pro-Heathrow expansion groups and was published in the period before the government’s January 2009 decision to approve a third runway at the west London airport.

The Advertising Standards Authority said that an MP, who has not been named, has challenged the noise, environmental, and dirt claims made in the ad. The Advertising Standards Authority did say that the airport operator BAA responded to the complaint by saying that the noise and dirt claim was a statement of fact. It was made for readers to fully understand that the new runway would not create more noise or air pollution than what was already present at Heathrow airport. BAA also went on to defend the nitrogen dioxide claims as well.

Either way, the Advertising Standards Authority said just this week that they found all of the claims to be misleading. They did note that they know that the BAA does firmly believe that the air and noise limits will not be breached. However, they feel that the evidence that they have found does not justify the claims. The Advertising Standards Authority said that the ad must no longer appear in its current form.