The top 10 most urgently needed new direct air routes from Heathrow have been identified by the GTMC.
The list of key new business travel routes include two in China and five in Latin America – the majority of which already have direct services from either Paris, Amsterdam or Frankfurt but not from the UK’s hub airport.
The full list is:
- Bogota (Colombia)
- Brasilia (Brazil)
- Chengdu (China)
- Dammam (Saudi Arabia)
- Douala (Cameroon)
- Lima (Peru)
- Panama City (Panama)
- Phuket (Thailand)
- Santiago (Chile)
- Shenzhen (China)
The top routes were identified through a survey of business travellers and analysis of TMCs’ sales data to emerging economies around the world. The report into these routes will be submitted to the Davies Commission which is currently looking into the future of airport capacity in the south-east.
The GTMC is calling for capacity to be added immediately through allowing controversial “mixed mode” operations at Heathrow and also for the government to insist that these 10 new business routes are introduced as part of a capacity increase.
GTMC chairman Ajaya Sodha said: “Any discussion about increasing airport capacity in the south-east hinges on its link to growth.
“It is business travellers that “do the deals” that will mean more exports, investment and jobs for the UK economy and they need to be able to access target markets easily and speedily.
“We urge the government to insist that any decision on allowing mixed mode or night flights is dependent on these routes being added to the roster at Heathrow.’
gtmc.org