ENVIRONMENTALISTS are claiming that Tony Blair's opening of the Heathrow rail link tomorrow is a "thank you" to airport operators and British Airways for supporting the Millennium Dome.
Friends of the Earth said BAA, which owns the airport, and BA were "cosying up" to the Prime Minister in the hope that he would back a fifth terminal at Heathrow.
It said Mr Blair has previously shown little interest in railways and will be there to thank both companies for supporting the dome.
Bob Ayling, BA's chief executive and a friend of Mr Blair, has committed the airline to invest £6 million, while BAA is putting up £3.8 million for the dome and other Millennium projects.
Mr Blair intended to use the occasion to launch the White Paper on alternatives to car use, but that has been delayed until next month.
The launch of the £440 million railway was delayed to suit Mr Blair's diary. Passengers have been using the 15-minute service between Paddington and Heathrow, for the past four weeks.
BAA and British Airways have long campaigned for the rail link, but Friends of the Earth said the real "payback" would be support for the fifth terminal at Heathrow, which would increase capacity by half.
Paul de Zylva, spokesman, said: "The celebrity appearance by Mr Blair is a down-payment to BA and BAA for their financial support of the dome. The bigger payback will be the building of Terminal Five, about which the Government claims to be neutral."
