The majority of regional business travellers want more direct long-haul flights and greater capacity from their local airports, according to GTMC research unveiled at its annual conference in Marrakech.
The GTMC survey questioned more than 1,000 frequent business travellers (taking three or more international business trips per year), who are living outside of London and the southeast.
It found four out of five respondents (84 per cent) called for more long-haul options out of regional airports, with 60 per cent saying these should be direct flights.
The importance of aviation capacity in the regions was highest in Northern Ireland, with 97 per cent calling for an increase, while only 50 per cent of regional travellers want capacity growth in London/southeast.
Despite this, Heathrow was their second-most used airport for international trips, after Manchester, with Birmingham and Edinburgh in third and fourth place - The Financial Times today reported that Manchester airport’s passenger numbers are rising 5.5 per cent year-on-year, reaching 21 million passengers per year, the highest number since 2008.
A third of those polled said international business travel had increased in the last two years – but this was significantly higher within those polled from SME businesses.
‘Splitting tickets’
The study found APD (air passenger duty) was shown to affect traveller behavior, with 43 per cent either regularly or occasionally flying non-direct via foreign hubs to avoid the tax. However, 56 per cent said a reduction in APD would have “no affect on their travel frequency”.
Gareth Morgan, director of political lobbyist firm Cavendish Communications, said this type of in-depth research is “a bible for lobbying”.
“It gives us authority when talking on a particular issue area,” said Morgan. “It can elevate beyond the anecdotal, backing an argument up with robust data. For example, the Treasury has no clue about how many flyers are splitting tickets.”
The survey found 56 per cent of travellers said the most important aspect relating to their journey to the airport was its distance from home – but 50 per cent are not able to access all the destinations they need so are forced to use a foreign hub.
Morgan added: “Not being able to access markets is core to the call for hub capacity.”
GTMC chief Paul Wait said: “With no more capacity to increase the number of routes or frequency, many business travellers opt to connect to their final destination via more well-served foreign hubs such as Amsterdam’s Schipol or Paris’s Charles de Gaulle. The UK economy risks losing out.”
The survey found that 34 per cent of travellers would switch from a foreign hub to Heathrow if the airport had more capacity.