Published on : Thursday, October 9, 2014
Gatwick Airport will tomorrow visit the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce to outline why plans for a second runway would offer a bigger economic boost and greater connections for UK businesses.
The visit comes in the week that Edinburgh Airport CEO Gordon Dewar, speaking at a party conference event, called Gatwick “the only viable option” in the UK airport expansion debate. The comments follow Edinburgh Airport’s support for Gatwick’s plans announced last year.
Gatwick’s breakfast event on Thursday 9th October at The Glasshouse in Edinburgh is the latest in a series of roadshows at Chambers of Commerce in England, Scotland and Wales to discuss the airports capacity debate and key issues for UK businesses. Visits to Aberdeen and Inverness are also planned next month.
A second runway at Gatwick is among the options shortlisted by the Airports Commission for the UK’s next runway. Gatwick will outline to the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce why its expansion plans would deliver greater benefits and connectivity for UK businesses including:
Gatwick already serves more regional destinations than Heathrow – Gatwick expansion will create capacity for more regional flights, connecting 15 UK airports to Gatwick
A second runway at Gatwick will help deliver more domestic passengers to and from London (18 million by 2050) than expansion at Heathrow
An expanded Gatwick will enhance connectivity from UK regions, giving regional passengers and businesses a genuine choice of two gateway airports in London
Regional businesses travelling to London would benefit from lower fares through Gatwick expansion, particularly important for the growing low-cost business market
Expansion at Gatwick will deliver more flights and more worldwide destinations compared to Heathrow – this will provide transfer options for regional passengers to a much wider range of worldwide destinations
Competition between airports in Scotland has delivered significant benefits in recent years, with Edinburgh adding new routes and increased traffic (see notes further below)
Expanding Gatwick would follow this example, creating greater competition among London airports and helping other UK airports continue to compete and grow
Expanding Heathrow would simply mean a return to the stale monopoly of the past, reducing choice, increasing fares and threatening the viability of other UK airports
Gatwick CEO Stewart Wingate said: “Our message to Scottish travellers and business is clear: Gatwick stands for choice and competition, creating new routes, low fares and better customer service. Building another runway at Heathrow would be a backward step, creating a high-cost monopoly provider of long-haul air services in London, that adds cost to every passenger and every business wanting to move people and goods and services in and out of the UK. We hope to persuade Scots travellers to support our exciting case for growth, and look forward to being back in Edinburgh.”
Edinburgh Airport Chief Executive Officer, Gordon Dewar said: “It is essential for the United Kingdom that airports policy puts the needs of passengers at its heart, and is designed in the best interests of the country as a whole. Edinburgh Airport believes that the plans being worked on by Gatwick represent the most realistic and deliverable proposals in terms of providing short, medium and long-term capacity for growth.”
Gatwick has highlighted Edinburgh Airport as a key example of the benefits of greater competition among airports. Since Edinburgh Airport was bought in 2012, competition between airports in Scotland has delivered significant benefits.
Edinburgh has signed the biggest deal in the airport’s history with EasyJet; agreed a new deal with Ryanair that saw the airline return to growth at Edinburgh; and promoted innovation, introducing the UK’s first multi-airline bag drop facility. It is competing vigorously with Glasgow Airport.
Prior to 2012, Edinburgh flew to only one long haul destination on a regular basis, compared to six long haul routes at Glasgow. By 2014, four new long haul routes had been added to some of the world’s major hubs such as Doha, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Toronto. Traffic at Edinburgh Airport has grown from around 9 million passengers a year in2012-13 to over 10 million passengers a year in 2013-14.
Source:- Gatwick Airport
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