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Importance of Northern Ireland access to Heathrow

This article discusses the current situation of air travel in Northern Ireland, the importance of Heathrow airport to the region, and the actions needed to secure regional access. It highlights the national integration, business travel, Northern Ireland's economy, and tourism as key reasons for the significance of Heathrow. Urgent government action and the protection of existing regional access are emphasized.

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Importance of Northern Ireland access to Heathrow

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  1. Importance of Northern Ireland access to Heathrow Alan Walker General Consumer Council for Northern Ireland 4 May 2004

  2. “Making the consumer voice heard – and making it count”

  3. Contents • Current situation • Importance of Heathrow to Northern Ireland • What we want done

  4. Current Situation • NI consumers have a high propensity to fly despite significantly lower incomes • Northern Ireland has access to all five London airports • Belfast Heathrow services have fallen from 15 to 8 since 2001 • Approx 25% of Belfast-Heathrow passengers are interlining • Lack of direct air services • Vast majority of new growth ‘no frills’ or ‘hybrid’ airlines

  5. Importance of Heathrow to Northern Ireland • National integration • Business Travellers • Northern Ireland Economy • Tourism

  6. National Integration • Regional peripherality - Northern Ireland and other peripheral regions should have access to UK’s main hub airports • Social inclusion • Lack of interlining opportunities at other London airports • Northern Ireland consumers have no realistic travel alternative to LHR

  7. Business Travellers • Northern Ireland manufacturers spend £33m per year of which 58% is on air travel • 70% of business travel in financial & business sector and 93% in construction sector is by air • Important markets in USA, Canada, Australia • Growing importance to all business sectors.

  8. Importance of LHR to NI business Source: Oxford Economic Forecasting, Northern Ireland Air Services Study

  9. Northern Ireland Economy • 39% of Northern Ireland manufacturing sales are to the rest of the world • 19% in UK as a whole • NI employment over dependent on slow/low growth sectors i.e agriculture, textiles, public administration • Inward investment • Impact of tourism

  10. Tourism • 250,000 overseas residents use Heathrow to enter NI. 8 times more likely to use LHR than any other airport • Over 450,000 UK passengers use Heathrow to access NI • Huge growth opportunities • Need to get people to Northern Ireland rather than visiting it

  11. Out of state visitors - 2000 Source: Oxford Economic Forecasting, Northern Ireland Air Services Study

  12. Out of state visitors - 2000 Source: Oxford Economic Forecasting, Northern Ireland Air Services Study

  13. What we want done • Urgent Government action to change PSO rules at EU level • Region to specified airport designation required • Reservation of slots for regions • Protection now and in the future • Airlines that currently provide regional access should not be unfairly penalised

  14. Conclusions • Heathrow is of utmost importance to Northern Ireland • Market is not the appropriate mechanism to decide • Government need to take steps to secure regional access now and in the future

  15. Thank you

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