Originally Posted by
JSCL
But in the modern world of how things work, more and more people are using online aggregators and booking separate tickets. It’s not helpful, but hardly a huge issue for Eastern here.
But the business case for the Mayors investment is global connectivity, so encouraging inward investment and making it easier for local businesses to export. Making it easier for local people to get away should be a bonus and not a primary concern. I would expect business travellers to be looking for good connections and alliance benefits (like KLM offer), rather than going for self-connections.
An alternative local perspective:
Mr Houchen had been set to fight an election in May, which was postponed due to the covid-19 crisis. Labour’s candidate Jessie Joe Jacobs, who will face the incumbent at the ballot box in 2021, has responded to the Heathrow announcement.
She said: “A new flight from our airport would ordinarily be great news but we are in the middle of a global crisis. That crisis has seen the number of people flying collapse with airlines going bankrupt and airports closing. The Mayor needs to be up front with people about the cost of all of this. He’s spent £100m on the airport and that’s rising. The cost per passenger is huge. I’ve been speaking to a number of local people and honestly to those that can’t get a bus off their estate or out of their village, they’re more angry than excited at the amount of their money being spent on securing a flight to London at a time when flying doesn’t feel like a priority. Politics is about priorities and people across the Tees Valley are left with third rate transport systems while a small minority receive a huge subsidy to fly to London.”
And yes, "she would say that wouldn't she", but gives some context for recent developments. The mayor is certainly being bold, and would counter that a time of crisis is exactly when the region should be taking these opportunities (would they have go the route 12 months ago?) and looking to get out and do business.