Mayor suggests link up with London airport
A WORKING group is to be set up to explore the possibility of an airline hub being established between Liverpool and Heathrow airport.
The move follows a meeting between Lord Deighton, chairman of Heathrow, the Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson and city region business leaders at John Lennon Airport.
Lord Deighton was lobbying support for a third runway at Heathrow. He agreed to establish the group following a suggestion by the Mayor.
Mayor Anderson said: “I am very pleased that Lord Deighton took this idea on board. It is vital for the city region economy that we have better connectivity not just throughout the region and nationally but throughout the world.
“Having a link to Heathrow would not only be of enormous benefit to businesses but would also open up worldwide destinations to local people and boost our tourism industry but making it so much easier for more visitors to come here.”
He called for the government to make a decision quickly about the third runway. “Put simply they should stop delaying – they need to say there should be a third runway as soon as possible and get on with it for the sake of the country’s economy.
“I have been supporting the idea of a third runway for a number of years, something which Lord Deighton was grateful for.
“He was also impressed by the growth in the city region’s economy and that we will have tens of thousands of visitors attending the International Festival for Business. However, we can accelerate that growth and attract even more businesses if we can make the link to Heathrow a reality.
“Lord Deighton recognises that the third runway is not just an issue for the South East, it will be of economic significance to the whole country and we are trying to make sure that Liverpool is among the main beneficiaries.”
The city council has taken a 20 per cent stake in John Lennon Airport. “We realised the importance of JLA to the local economy,” said Mayer Anderson. “And if we can get the Heathrow hub established it will be a major boost not only to JLA but to the whole city region.”
