Here Are The Spectacular Plans For A Floating Airport In London

London's Heathrow is the fourth busiest airport on the planet, and it's not nearly big enough to handle the doubling in traffic the UK's Department for Transport predicts will hit by 2030.

Some want to construct a third runway, but that would likely require the demolition of entire villages, as Heathrow is in a dense area outside London.

There is a more outlandish idea that takes advantage of unused space: Build a new airport, and make it float on the estuary of the Thames River. One group pushing for this option, the Thames Estuary Research and Development Company (Testrad) has released new plans for its "innovative and spectacular" London Britannia Airport.

It certainly is spectacular. Here's the view from the air:

London Britannia floating airport rendering

Thames Estuary Research and Development Company

And a panoramic rendering:

London Britannia floating airport rendering 2

Testrad

The interior looks awesome:

London Britannia floating airport rendering interior concourse

Thames Estuary Research and Development Company

The map includes space for future expansion:

London Britannia floating airport map

Testrad

Testrad argues that a fresh airport would allow for better connections to the rest of the UK's transportation networks:

London Britannia floating airport rendering access map

Thames Estuary Research and Development Company

More From Business Insider

• The Elimination Of Competition In The Airline Industry Could Be Great For US Travelers
  

• The Government Made 2 Charts To Justify The American-US Airways Merger
  

• American Airlines, US Airways Strike A Deal To Merge Into The World's Biggest Airline