Runway extension will be catalyst to inward investment says Business Birmingham chief
THE runway extension at Birmingham Airport will act as a catalyst to inward investment in the region, the chief of Marketing Birmingham has said.
Neil Rami, chief executive of Marketing Birmingham, said the endorsement of the Prime Minister for the expansion of facilities at the airport was also a major boost in the area’s profile.
Rami, whose organisation also operates Business Birmingham, the city’s inward investment programme, said: “The Prime Minister endorsed the work Birmingham is doing to build its profile in key markets, such as China, and make it easier for people from these areas to visit and invest here.
“The runway extension at Birmingham Airport will allow us to access new markets and opportunities. With foreign direct investment into the area at a high, we are working hard to build on this momentum to create more jobs and economic growth.”
He said the city’s links to the Chinese market had been boosted with the introduction from July of the first ever direct flights from China to Birmingham.
The legitimacy of Birmingham as a burgeoning tourism centre has also been enhanced with the award to Marketing Birmingham and the airport of Visit Britain’s new Chartermark.
This, he said, demonstrated the city’s commitment to being one of the most welcoming destinations in the world for Chinese visitors.
“The West Midlands is also the only UK region to have an export surplus with China, with exports totalling over £4bn each year. China is showing a growing interest in our offer and we are ready to build on the potential of this relationship,” added Rami.
By 2020, based on today’s demand, Birmingham Airport is forecast to handle 15m passengers a year, an increase of 6m. This passenger growth will generate an additional 4,000 jobs on-site and a further 4,000 in the immediate supply chain.
The longer runway will allow aircraft to fly to destinations further away and support more direct long-haul flights to emerging economies currently out of reach, such as Brazil and China, as well as tourist hotspots like the west coast of the USA.
