LAT Water features in Heathrow impact study
A NEW report details Heathrow’s value to the South East as part of its support for UK’s regions that see it delivering a £400m boost to economies across the UK.
The study, which contains new research by consultancy Frontier Economics, reveals Heathrow is Britain’s “most valuable port”, helping contribute to the £45.2bn worth of goods exported from the South East pre-pandemic.
It also charts how in 2021, as Britain emerged from the pandemic, more than £153bn of non-EU exports and imports travelled through Heathrow while visitors travelling through the airport went on to spend £400m in towns and cities across the UK.
The report: ‘Heathrow: Sustainable Growth, Global Connectivity’, charts the part Britain’s hub airport plays in the UK aviation sector’s £12bn annual boost to the British economy.
And it details the importance of the global hub airport model to the regional growth of regions like the South East which is home to passengers and businesses who rely on aviation trade routes.
The report includes a case study on one such business.
Thatcham-based LAT Water is a technology firm at the
forefront of developing new approaches to waste water treatment and desalination.
As a connectivity hub, Heathrow has been critical to LAT Water’s continued success.
With domestic partners as far north as Aberdeen and international partners as far as China, the fast, easy access Heathrow permits both home and abroad is vital to the continued success of the Rivermead Business Park company.
The report also shows that Heathrow and the aviation industry plays a significant role in supporting businesses with access to global markets and creating jobs in the South
East, with: n More than 96,000 people directly employed in the aviation sector. n Seventy-five per cent of all UK air cargo going through Heathrow, offering the South East unparalleled access to global supply chains and customers.
Mark Hardiman, co-founder and chief executive of LAT Water, said: “Heathrow is a really important transport hub for us.
“We need to travel both across the UK and internationally and that connectivity is really important for getting our customers to come and see us, and for delivering our key components.”