Business leaders in Birmingham have thrown their weight behind the expansion of Gatwick Airport – saying another runway at Heathrow would harm growth in the regions.
The completes its consultation over additional capacity today (February 3) with new runways at Heathrow and Gatwick airports the most likely options.
chief executive Paul Kehoe said he backed the Gatwick proposals, claiming an expansion at Heathrow would draw more businesspeople out of the regions and towards the capital.
Birmingham Airport had previously submitted a bid to the commission, chaired by Sir Howard Davies, for its own major expansion but that was .
However, Mr Kehoe said recent growth at the airport, which reported a 6.5 per cent rise in passengers to 9.7 million last year, showed there was appetite to fly from the regions.
He said: “New analysis of the Airports Commission’s research raises serious concerns that the potential negative effects of Heathrow expansion on our regional economies has not been properly considered. According to this analysis, Heathrow expansion would be more likely to exacerbate rather than mitigate regional imbalances.”
A study by economic analyst Oxera, commissioned by Birmingham Airport, claimed the methodology used by PwC on behalf of the Airports Commission could hide winners and losers in 海角视频 regions. Researchers said it stood to underplay the negative effect that Heathrow expansion could have on some 海角视频 regions.
Oxera explained this is because rather than modelling what could happen to the Midlands and other 海角视频 regions under the Heathrow and Gatwick scenarios, PwC split the 海角视频 into three large blocks – London and the South East, the rest of England, and the rest of the 海角视频.
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The Oxera analysis says that: “A more relevant question for analysis which could have been asked by the Airports Commission and PwC is where the national losses and gains are accrued and how they are distributed.”
Oxera concluded that Heathrow expansion would be more likely to exacerbate rather than mitigate regional imbalances, by drawing more business into the London area.
Mr Kehoe added: “We are clear that the answer is a network of national long-haul airports, plugging all regions into global growth opportunities, not an even larger hub at Heathrow which would draw more business into an already overheated South East.
“Birmingham Airport had its busiest year ever in 2014, which shows that passengers and businesses want good value and to fly direct, which can only be achieved through competition. Gatwick is the only option being offered by Sir Howard Davies that would provide this competition, benefitting passengers at Birmingham, Heathrow, Gatwick and beyond.”
Leading entrepreneurs, including the former chief executive of Dyson and co-founder of the New Covent Garden Soup company, this week penned an open letter to Sir Howard to choose Gatwick over Heathrow as the suggested airport for a new runway.
The 19 business leaders have joined forces in a bid to convince the commission that Gatwick is the better option in terms of limiting costs and environmental impacts, and ensuring competition in the aviation industry.
However, budget airline easyJet, which has its biggest 海角视频 base at Gatwick, has come out in favour of expanding Heathrow.
Jerry Blackett, chief executive of the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce said: “Our region has a larger trade surplus with North America than any other in the 海角视频, and is the only region to have a positive balance of trade with China. This is down to the strength of our financial services, manufacturing and engineering sectors and more, all of which are supported by our long-haul connectivity to markets around the world. The right decision for our region is the one that allows more businesses to fly direct, not one that could draw more business to Heathrow and the South East.”