Scots firms urge quick decision over runway
THE UK Government has been urged to get a move on with the decision on a new runway for London to improve connections between Scotland and the wider world.
A range of politicians and business leaders have written to the transport secretary, Chris Grayling, to tell him connectivity to the rest of the world is now more important than ever with Britain voting to leave the EU.
It is the referendum result that prompted the UK Government to put a decision on expansion plans on hold until the autumn, when a decision was due now.
The letter is signed by Amanda McMillan, chief executive of Glasgow Airport, Glasgow Chamber of Commerce and the Glasgow Restaurant Association and MPs Iain Murray and Tasmina Ahmed Sheikh.
It is also backed by several prominent business leaders including Sir Ian Wood of Wood Group and Scottish exporters including Walker’s Shortbread.
The signatories call for an end to delays on the decision to stop the negative impact a lack of capacity at Heathrow and Gatwick has on connectivity to and from Scotland.
It states: “It is clear following the vote to leave the EU the economic case for a new runway has never been stronger or more urgent.
“In order to do more trade with the rest of the globe especially growth economies like Brazil and China, then having sufficient air links to those countries is essential.
“Yet at present our connectivity to these markets is not as good as some of our competitors.”
The recommendation to build a third runway at Heathrow was made more than a year ago and the business leaders warned that further delays will cost the economy billions of pounds in lost trade.
Scotland is dependent on connections to the wider world through Heathrow with a lack of direct long-haul flights form airports like Glasgow and Edinburgh, not only for tourism and business but for exporting goods.
The letter states: “Over 90 per cent of overseas visitors to Scot- land arrive by air with a third using Heathrow and many others using Gatwick.
“As well as supporting Scottish exporters, by value, 40 per cent of all UK exports go via air, this includes iconic Scottish goods such as fresh salmon, accounting for Heathrow’s biggest export by tonnage.
“Having more available slots into London Airports as a consequence of airport expansion is something we believe Scotland would benefit from hugely.”