28 July 2008
City needs efficient, well-connected Heathrow to remain
competitive
Aviation services are a critical and expanding requirement for
the City and for London as a whole, according to a research report
by York Aviation released by the City of London Corporation today
(Monday).
The report shows that aviation services must meet needs of
business people travelling to key global destinations if London is
to remain competitive. Demand for air travel from City businesses
has grown by nearly a third since 2000. In 2006, around 2.7 million
air passenger one way journeys were made for or on behalf of
companies located in the Square Mile, the majority of which were
between the world’s major business centres.
The report shows that from the City’s perspective, Heathrow
remains the most important of London’s airports. Since 2002, issues
around quality of service, delays and surface access have worsened
considerably and there is concern from City firms that issues are
reaching a point at which London’s reputation as a place to do
business will be damaged if problems are not rapidly
resolved. If London fails to improve its air service
offering, it will increasingly be seen as a difficult place to do
business.
Stuart Fraser, Chairman, Policy and Resources Committee, City of
London Corporation says: "At Heathrow, we need to reach rapidly the
position where all passengers can arrive and depart through the
airport, knowing that they will be processed courteously and
efficiently and sped on their way. The debate about overall runway
and terminal capacity also needs to be resolved soon. If this
concludes that greater capacity at Heathrow is unavoidable, we will
have to bite that difficult bullet and go ahead so that we can
create a world class airport for a world class city."
Aiming for quality and depth of service does not necessarily
mean that Heathrow needs to be the biggest hub in Europe, but it
needs to be the best in terms of passenger experience and the range
of high frequency direct connections it provides to key business
centres.
The report also highlights that against the benefits of air
travel to the City, businesses are becoming increasingly aware of
the conflict between their need for air travel and the climate
change impact of this travel and that the potential costs of a
failure to deliver additional capacity must be set the
environmental impacts of further expansion.
Ends
Notes to editors
City of London:
The City of London Corporation is an unusually diverse organisation
with three main aims – to support and promote the Square Mile as
the world’s leading international financial and business centre; to
provide the highest quality local government services for the
Square Mile; and to provide valued services to London and the
nation as a whole.
York Aviation:
York Aviation is a specialist firm of air transport consultants
providing consultancy services for the airports business.
Press contact
Susanna Howard
020 7332 3450
susanna.howard@cityoflondon.gov.uk