GLASGOW BUSINESS AUGUST 2015
CHIEF EXECUTIVE
Stuart Patrick, Chief Executive
chiefexecutive@glasgowchamberofcommerce.com
Time to deliver on airports
The Davies Commission has set out its views on the key question of increasing airport capacity in the south of England. After three years reviewing the issues, receiving more than 70,000 submissions from consultees, it has now published its 342-page report, which gives unanimous support for a North West Runway at Heathrow Airport. This accords with Glasgow
Chamber’s view, which backed the Heathrow option for very specific reasons related to the business needs of Chamber members. We take no self-satisfaction in the Commission’s choice. Gatwick Airport is a well-run business with ambitious plans and we would like to see it grow too. (We were very pleased to welcome Stewart Wingate, CEO of Gatwick Airport, in a Glasgow Talk to make his airport’s case.) There are, however, several arguments in the
report that reflect our views. Heathrow’s current dominance of long-haul
flights is one. Heathrow has 70 per cent of the UK’s long-haul connections. It is the airport that
gives us the greatest access to the widest range of long-haul options. We care about that because our engineering, life science and whisky industries all need to get to markets all across the globe. Indeed, it’s the fact that Heathrow has been unable to accommodate many new flights to cities in Asia, South America and Africa that makes us so keen to see the third runway built. There are reasons why Gatwick
cannot fulfil a similar role: Gatwick is currently dominated by short-haul flights to European destinations and has a much smaller range of long-haul options.
To grow those, Davies says, would need one of the main airline alliances to move from Heathrow or for the
low-cost carriers at Gatwick that concentrate on short haul to shift into long-haul flights. As the Commission report concludes, there is no guarantee of that happening. The major airline alliances, crucially including
the alliance of which British Airways is a member, rejected suggestions they would move. The
Glasgow Business . 5
www.glasgowchamberofcommerce.com Aside from pushing for a decision on
Heathrow’s expansion, discover what else the Chamber expects of Glasgow MPs 24
logistical support for their operations is all at Heathrow. Also, low-cost carriers are not showing a clear appetite for strong moves into long-haul flights. So for the foreseeable future Heathrow can be expected to remain the dominant provider of long-haul flights and Davies argues that the third runway at Heathrow would offer much faster growth in new long-haul destinations than Gatwick. Another issue highlighted by the Davies
Commission is high speed rail. HS2 is currently planned to have a connection to Heathrow. There is no plan for a connection to Gatwick. When high-speed rail eventually happens, the evidence suggests that much of the current London demand would shift from air to rail. Having the high-speed connection to Heathrow becomes very important if we are to maintain an easy and frequent link to its long haul schedules. The Gatwick team made a forceful argument
that Heathrow was a bad choice simply because it would never be allowed to happen. We know full well that senior Conservative politicians including Boris Johnson have vigorously opposed the project. But we have always said that we would make our case on the economic issues and let the politicians deal with the political issues. Now, Davies has made it clear that the economic case supports Heathrow. It is over to the politicians to decide quickly and deliver.
HEAD OF INTERNATIONAL CERTIFICATION Catherine Bryson ~ 0141 204 8390
cathy.bryson@
glasgowchamberofcommerce.com
CHIEF EXECUTIVE Stuart Patrick ~ 0141 204 8317
stuart.patrick@
glasgowchamberofcommerce.com
DEPUTY CHIEF EXECUTIVE Richard Muir ~ 0141 204 8326
richard.muir@
glasgowchamberofcommerce.com
PROJECTS DIRECTOR Alison McRae ~ 0141 204 8339
alison.mcrae@
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HEAD OF TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT Elaine Rodger ~ 0141 204 8332
elaine.rodger@
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BUSINESS SERVICE MANAGER Cathie McKay ~ 0141 204 8317
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FINANCE MANAGER Audrey Hamilton ~ 0141 204 8334
audrey.hamilton@glasgowchamberofcommerce.com
HEAD OF COMMUNICATIONS Anne Marie Hughes ~ 0141 204 8325
annemarie.hughes@glasgowchamberof
commerce.com
HEAD OF PARTNERSHIP & MEMBERSHIP OPERATIONS Susan McKay ~ 0141 204 8347
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HEAD OF EVENTS Alan Busby ~ 0141 204 8323
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DEVELOPING THE YOUNG WORKFORCE Leona Seaton ~ 0141 204 8338
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PROGRAMME MANAGER
DEVELOPING THE YOUNG WORKFORCE Selina Hales ~ 0141 204 8336
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DEVELOPING THE YOUNG WORKFORCE Shona MacPherson ~ 0141 204 8364
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commerce.com
DEVELOPING THE YOUNG WORKFORCE Jennifer Hood ~ 0141 204 8333
jennifer.hood@glasgowchamberofcommerce.com
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT
PROJECTS ASSISTANT Blair Stevenson ~ 0141 204 8339
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MEMBERSHIP CO-ORDINATOR Kamilla Biskup ~ 0141 204 8331
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ADMINISTRATION ASSISTANT Danielle Grant ~ 0141 204 8349
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FINANCE ASSISTANT Liz Mason ~ 0141 204 8329
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CERTIFICATION EXECUTIVE Yasmin Akram ~ 0141 204 8330
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BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CO-ORDINATOR EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP CO-ORDINATOR
CERTIFICATION EXECUTIVE Lorraine Galbraith ~ 0141 204 8365
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CERTIFICATION EXECUTIVE Katie Anderson ~ 0141 204 8381
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The views within Glasgow Business do not necessarily reflect those of Glasgow Chamber. Although every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of material in this publication, the publishers and Glasgow Chamber of Commerce cannot accept responsibility for the claims made by contributors in advertising or editorial.
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