But Sir Richard told delegates: “We don’t need a hub airport.”
"And he said the regions have ‘disbenefitted’ for years from the lack of investment in every aspect of transport infrastructure."
"He said airports including Manchester had spare running capacity, which would be enhanced by schemes like HS2 and he said millions of passengers wanted to fly from closer to home rather than travelling to London."
....as if we can't have it no one can.......!
Council leader slams expansion plans for Heathrow or Gatwick and calls for investment in regional airports - Manchester Evening News
Where we be without Council leaders and made up words? Well, better off usually.....
Main point is that unless airlines can make money with splintered operations from a multiplicity of regional airports they'll focus on hubs to get the benefits of scale. KLM UK to hub AMS is the best example.
Charlie Cornish, Chief executive of MAG, said regional airports were much more than ‘spokes’ to serve a London hub.
He said Manchester could provide many inter-continental routes using overseas airports such as those in the Middle East.
He added: “It’s undoubtedly the case that Eitihad, Emirates and Qatar have created hundreds of jobs in the north-west through their routes into the Middle East.
It's a choice between one hub or t'other, let's not dress it up as something super worthy. Changing in London is the same as changing in Frankfurt or Dubai, except via Dubai has a bigger aircraft on the first leg. It's all politics really at the mo. It's one load of airlines promoting one hub over another
Only the likes of Norwegian and Thomas Cook / Thomson do proper long haul point to point.