Business leaders say UK loosing trade because of poor flight links
26.01.12
Businesses in some of the world's fastest-growing economies are more likely to trade with France, Germany and Holland than the UK because of our relatively poor air connections, the Telegraph reports a survey has found. Two-thirds of directors in Brazil, China, India, South Korea and Mexico said they were more inclined to do business with the UK's major European rivals because they offered more direct flights.
The study, commissioned by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) and Heathrow, found that 64 percent of the 350 executives surveyed also believed the UK would miss out on economic growth because of declining flight connections to London. The BCC said Britain's aviation ‘connectivity crunch’ was already costing the UK economy £1.2bn a year in lost trade, with capacity constraints preventing airlines opening new routes to growth destinations including Manila, Guangzhou, Mexico City and Jakarta.
Colin Matthews, chief executive of Heathrow-owner BAA, said: ‘The view from business leaders in emerging markets is alarming. If anyone doubted that Heathrow's capacity crunch is harming UK growth then here is the evidence: business leaders in the world's fastest-growing economies say they are being put off from investing in the UK because of a lack of direct flights.’
John Longworth, BCC's director-general, said: ‘While businesses welcome the ambition displayed by the Government's recent announcement on a possible four-runway airport in the Thames Estuary, this so far unfunded project will take 20 years to deliver. More has to be done in the meantime to solve the UK's capacity crunch, for example by building a third runway at Heathrow.’
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