UK growth ‘being throttled’ by lack of airport capacity
As Transport Minister Theresa Villiers sets out a new strategy for UK aviation, BAA’s chief executive tells Channel 4 News “growth is clearly being throttled” by a lack of capacity at Heathrow.
BAA Chief Executive Colin Matthews said: “Heathrow is full and today we’re turning away direct flights” that prevent businesses from “connecting to their global markets”.
It comes as rumours persist that David Cameron is considering a “slow U-turn” over expansion plans at Britain’s biggest airport.
The Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition manifesto in 2010 ruled out a third runway at Heathrow.
But it is thought Chancellor George Osborne has persuaded the prime minister to put the plan back on the table.
A survey by the Board of Airline Representatives (BAR), published today, found as many as 53 per cent of scheduled airlines have either decided to, or are preparing to, base flights in other countries because of Heathrow’s lack of capacity.
“Heathrow is the UK’s airport, it’s not just for London. Something like 80 per cent of the UK’s longhaul connections come through Heathrow,” Mr Matthews told Channel 4 News.
“That is because we’re the only hub in this country and it’s vital that Heathrow can do that role efficently.
“It’s great that the topic is on the agenda, it’s good the government is looking afresh at what the policy should be to make sure that we’re not throttling off trade and investment at exactly the time when this country needs it.”
Environmental campaigners successfully lobbied against Heathrow expansion because it would increase the UK’s carbon emissions and, they said, speed up climate change. A U-turn on the third runway pledge would doubtless infuriate them along with residents who live close to Heathrow’s flight paths.
But Mr Matthews said: “Growth is clearly being throttled today.
“Airlines come to me and say they want to fly to Heathrow because they want to connect their country to this country.
“And I have to say to them, amazingly, ‘well you can only fly here if you can buy a slot from another airline who already owns them.’ They’re not my slots to sell so I can’t respond positively myself.”
‘Heathrow is full’
Mr Matthews added: “Heathrow is full and today we’re turning away direct flights from long-haul desitnations which would come here if there was enough capacity.
“There are big companies who are headquartered in the Thames Valley – Cisco, Microsoft, GlaxoSmithKline – all along the M4 corridor. But it’s not just a regional issue, there are businesses in Glasgow and Edinburgh, right across the United Kingdom who depend on Heathrow to be effectively connected to their global markets.
“Those markets are really important when they’re the growing markets of China, Brazil.”
The BAR poll found 86 per cent of airlines said they would put on more flights to the UK if additional take-off and landing slots were available at Heathrow.