London air link plea

The Corporation of London has weighed into the controversy regarding the capital’s air links with the publication last week of a comprehensive report by York Aviation detailing the situation.

London's airports have experienced falling passenger demand – particularly business travel – since 2008 due to the economic downturn.  At the height of the market in 2007, around 140m passengers passed through London's airports.  However, after a small decline in 2008 as the global recession set in, demand fell to only around 130m passengers in 2009.

Stuart Fraser, Policy Chairman at the City of London Corporation, said: "As a world leading business hub, London has long been a key national and international gateway for trade. We have traditionally benefited from excellent transport links to destinations all over the world but our competitive edge in this area is being eroded as we wait for decisive action to upgrade our aviation infrastructure.”

The study indicates that extra airport capacity at Heathrow remains the preferred option for the City businesses as it continues to be by far the most important provider of business focussed connectivity – accounting for around 44% of journeys amongst the London airports. www.cityoflondon.gov.uk

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