Businesses must support Birmingham Airport's runway plans
Dec 12 2008 Agenda
Now is the time to switch full attention to long-term future of Birmingham International Airport, says Ian Stringer.
The stunning new images of Birmingham New Street station unveiled by the City Council in the early autumn are a vivid demonstration of what can be achieved when all the key Birmingham stakeholders come together and work for the common good.
Just a few days away from the decision by Solihull Borough Council, whether or not to grant planning consent for the runway extension. If there was ever a time when the airport needed the co-ordinated support of regional business it is now.
Before the business editor of this newspaper is besieged by outraged readers stoutly defending the airport’s infrastructure, can I first explain that I am not intending to criticise the airport’s operation in any way. In fact, I rather enjoy travelling from Birmingham. It’s easy to get to and, from my admittedly limited knowledge of airport management; it appears to be very well run. I also find the ability to park in close proximity to the terminals an enormous bonus.
What does concern me, as one who makes his livelihood from encouraging business to locate in the Midlands, is where you can actually get to, from Birmingham Airport.
The benchmark regional airport for me is Manchester and, let’s be honest, they are doing a superb job.
Even a cursory glance at Manchester’s destination map demonstrates that it is possible to get direct flights to 12 different North American destinations, a list which includes New York JFK, Newark, Las Vegas, Miami, Orlando, Philadelphia, Durham Raleigh, Atlanta, and Chicago in the United States and Vancouver, Toronto and Hamilton in Canada.
This compares to only four for Birmingham, namely New York, Philadelphia, Orlando and Toronto.
Strip away the obvious tourist destinations, like Miami, and Manchester is still left with a very comprehensive map, which includes many of the major ‘hubs’ for the North American airlines servicing the UK market, such as Continental (Newark), American Airlines (Chicago), US Airways (Philadelphia) and Delta (Atlanta), from which it is possible to quickly get transfer flights into the American interior. Crucially, it also includes many lesser known airports which are vital routes for the business traveller, like Durham Raleigh in North Carolina, with its easy access to the Research Triangle.
It is a similar story with the increasingly important Middle East market. You can now get to five different Middle Eastern destinations from Manchester, namely Riyadh and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, along with Qatar, Abu Dhabi and Dubai. This compares to one, Dubai, for Birmingham.
If you are an international corporate looking to set up a UK office, you will naturally be attracted to those cities with direct flight airports, to get your people in and out quickly.
Manchester’s ability to offer direct flights from so many of the key US ‘hubs’ is an enormous advantage in attracting inward investment, as is its connectivity with the Middle East at a time when many UK corporate are increasingly looking for Middle Eastern rather than British or American investment capital.
Whilst the continuing financial crisis will have some impact on the willingness of American companies to spread their wings, the USA will remain a key market for inward investment.
The Department of Trade and Industry’s 2008 report on inward investment notes that the USA still accounts for approximately 30 per cent of all foreign direct investment into the UK, encompassing some highly critical sectors, such as defence, pharmaceuticals and financial services.
I do not, for one moment, think that expanding this map is going to be easy, but I would urge all of those with a stake in Birmingham’s future, the Council, Chamber of Commerce, inward investment organisations and the business community, to prioritise this issue. I’m not looking for an easy life, but I cannot overstate how
