On a recent visit to Northern Ireland, Heathrow Strategy Director Andrew Macmillan called on local businesses to make their voices heard in the Airports Commission’s national consultation on airport capacity expansion, which closes on 3rd February 2015.

With 670,000 passengers and 270,000kgs of Northern Ireland exports travelling from Belfast each year on Heathrow’s busiest domestic cargo route, he highlighted the strong links Northern Ireland already has with Heathrow and the important role the airport could play in enabling future growth in tourism and exports.

The Airports Commission’s independent appraisal of the shortlisted options for airport capacity expansion found that Heathrow would deliver up to £211bn of economic benefits and create up to 180,000 new jobs – approximately £97bn and 130,000 more jobs than rival Gatwick. The Commission also estimates that Heathrow expansion would be beneficial for the whole of the UK, with £36bn in economic benefit and 12,300 jobs created in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

As the UK’s only hub airport, Heathrow expansion would also benefit Northern Ireland’s tourism industry with more convenient access for increasing numbers of travellers from both North America and emerging markets arriving into the UK’s gateway to the world, particularly following the popularity of Games of Thrones.

Andrew was speaking at an event held in Belfast to encourage leading business and tourism representatives including NITB, Visit Belfast, CBI, FSB NI, Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and IOD to positively respond to the national consultation.  In his remarks he said:

“The Airports Commission review is the last and best opportunity to connect all of the UK, including Northern Ireland to global growth.   

“Heathrow is not only our global gateway; it is the UK’s biggest port with over a quarter of our exports from a vast number of industries including pharmaceuticals, high-tech components and high quality fresh food. The Belfast City route is Heathrow’s busiest for domestic cargo, with 270,000kg of freight being flown in the bellyhold of passenger aircraft over the last 12 months.  By expanding Heathrow, we will be able to export more products from Northern Ireland to fast-growing emerging markets all over the world.

“In addition to providing better connections for Northern Ireland exporters, expansion at Heathrow will enable us to provide regular direct flights to and from 40 new long haul destinations - keeping the UK at the heart of the global economy and supporting economic growth in Northern Ireland.

“Without this expansion we are handing export growth to our European competitors and are at risk of being overtaken by Amsterdam's Schipol, Paris and Frankfurt. This would cost the UK £15 billion each year in lost trade and it would be a lost opportunity for skilled jobs which will have a major impact upon the Northern Ireland economy.

“When you look at large exporters like Bombardier or global banking groups like Citi Group flying people in and out, giving companies access to more flights makes good business sense.”

Andrew also stated that Heathrow has four times more foreign inbound tourists than Gatwick does.

“Heathrow offers connections to emerging and established markets that are responsible for driving business investment such as Lagos, Sao Paolo and Nairobi and bringing in high spending foreign tourists. Heathrow is an airport that is bringing investment into Northern Ireland.

“Northern Ireland is a significant draw to North American tourists because of the strong cultural links through the Irish diaspora, the association with Game of Thrones and the presence of high-profile attractions such as Titanic Belfast that have resonance in North America. With better connections from Northern Ireland, there is no better connected airport to North America in Europe than Heathrow that will help secure a sustained level of tourists from these regions.”

The Airports Commission consultation document can be viewed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/increasing-the-uks-long-term-aviation-capacity

Download the response form from: http://your.heathrow.com/nationalconsultation-2/

You can either fill out the Airports Commission response form or write a letter, and submit it online via airports.consultation@systra.com or post (see below) by 3 February 2015 at 11:45.

The postal address is:Freepost RTKX-USUC-CXASAirports Commission ConsultationPO Box 1492WokingGU22 2QR

ENDSFor media enquires please contact:Shane Finnegan or Katrina Frazer at Aiken PR on:Tel:  028 9066 3000 orEmail: firstname@aikenpr.com

Notes to Editor:• Airports Commission National Consultationo The information included in the consultation will enable respondents to give their view on the strengths and weaknesses of each short-listed option. It also invites comment on the commission’s review of the underlying evidence and analysis. These comments will then be taken into account and used to validate and challenge the commission’s assessments, ahead of the final report in the summer of 2015.o The consultation will close on 3 February 2015 at 11:45.