Heathrow expansion crucial to safeguard region's links to the capital

Newcastle International Airport has today announced its support for the proposed expansion of London Heathrow and has called on the Government to ensure that this safeguards critical regional air services between the North East and the capital. 

The airport has submitted its formal response to the consultation on Heathrow’s expansion to the Department for Transport.  Newcastle International’s head of planning and corporate affairs, Graeme Mason, said:

“The future growth of Heathrow does not just impact on London and the South East; it also has a major impact on peripheral regions which rely greatly on access into major airports for continued growth, inward investment and access to world markets.  Existing flights between Newcastle and Heathrow carry approximately half a million passengers per year and support strongly the regional economic development of the North East.

“Expansion is necessary, but it is imperative that this expansion helps to safeguard the future of regional air services as a fundamental priority.  We are disappointed that the Government has included almost no discussion of regional access to Heathrow in its consultation process.  Our support for the expansion of Heathrow, including the construction of a third runway, is strong but it is also conditional, and we call upon the Government to demonstrate a commitment to the UK regions by showing how it intends to link the expansion with the protection of regional air services into Heathrow. 

“The acute pressure on already congested slots at Heathrow is a major concern for us.  If the situation is not addressed urgently through managed expansion, there is a very real threat to the future of domestic regional air services. Airlines will be under increasing pressure to serve more profitable markets at the expense of regional routes. The introduction of the ‘Open Skies’ agreement exacerbates this problem, by placing further pressure on slot availability for regional and European feeder services, which will disadvantage domestic air services and could be detrimental to regions of the UK.

“We are lobbying forcefully on behalf of North East air travellers to ensure that they continue benefit from direct services into London Heathrow.”