Birmingham a favourite gateway for Chinese visitors claims chamber
BUSINESS leaders in Birmingham and Solihull have challenged claims in a new report suggesting additional runways at Heathrow are the only viable way to meet the UK’s aviation capacity shortfall.
The claim is made in a report compiled by the Conservative Free Enterprise Group.
Jerry Blackett, chief executive of the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce Group (BCCG), has asked in a letter to the report’s author why Heathrow claims it needs to expand to benefit UK businesses and yet uses 60% of its capacity to serve tourists flying to destinations such as Orlando and Malaga.
The chamber highlighted the fact a third runway at Heathrow would offer only 7% of the capacity needed by 2050 while the UK’s six largest regional airports could add 50%.
Mr Blackett has also refuted claims that people in China want to fly into London and not anywhere else.
“The West Midlands is one of the only regions that has been bucking national trends and consistently reducing unemployment and growing our economy. We have done this thanks to the vigour with which our manufacturers have been exporting,” he said.
“Since 2003 Birmingham has attracted more Chinese investment projects than any other UK city outside London. The Chinese are focused on investing in manufacturing and research and design – which the West Midlands has in abundance.
“China has recently overtaken Germany as the West Midlands’ second largest trading partner and we have done all of this without a direct flight to China.”
He singled out the area’s growing Chinese connections, represented most strongly by MG Motors UK, which is owned by Chinese firm SAIC.
“MG Motor’s managing director William Wang has publicly backed a Birmingham-Shanghai route and we are confident that once Birmingham Airport’s runway is extended we will see a huge boom in flights between the West Midlands and China,” added Mr Blackett.
He pointed to the fact that when the Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao visited the UK in 2011 he flew to Birmingham because of the SAIC connection.
“The West Midlands has a lot to offer China and is the largest recipient of Chinese investment outside London. In China our heritage and reputation for high quality manufacturing is well understood and greatly valued,” said Mr Blackett.
