Scotland backs expansion at Heathrow Airport

By Catherine Deshayes on 16-Feb-2012

Scottish business leaders have said that a major increase in the capacity of Heathrow Airport is just as crucial for the Scottish economy as it is for the South East of England.

A group of chambers of commerce in Scotland, led by the Glasgow Chambers Of Commerce, have back calls made by Heathrow’s operators, BAA, to “ensure capacity constraints at Heathrow do not cut Scotland off from future trade opportunities and jobs”.

Proposals for a new runway at Heathrow have been thrown out by the coalition government, but the need for more capacity at the airport – one of the busiest in the world – remains, especially if the UK is to maintain its status as an international aviation hub. Any expansion would be a boon for aviation jobs both in the region of Heathrow and at key regional UK airports – such as Edinburgh and Glasgow.

A recent report by analysts, Oxford Economics, showed that one in nine Scottish jobs depend on foreign investment, with more than half of these companies only able to reach their home market through a hub airport. Aviation supports around £2.9 billion of Scottish exports and accounts for the vast majority of the 2.4 million annual tourist visits, which plough a further £1.5 billion into the economy.