Originally Posted by
Vokes55
Of course, we all know that a 3-times weekly service from Heathrow to a secondary city in China is going to contribute far more to the economy than an extra 15-20 aircraft that easyJet and Norwegian could base at LGW with an extra runway
And if you think easyJet only serve the "loco leisure" market, you're a little behind the times.
In all fairness, easyJet still primarily serve the leisure market. Just look at their destination list - the vast majority are bucket and spade routes. Yes there has been a pivot towards serving the business market, but there's still a severe lack of business destinations served by easyJet - where's Bucharest, Frankfurt, Helsinki, Hannover, Oslo, Stockholm, Warsaw? And of those cities, three key business destinations (Frankfurt, Hannover and Warsaw) aren't served at all from Gatwick.
Heathrow expansion will allow the UK to be connected to new cities across the globe. If Gatwick was expanded, yes you may get an extra 15-20 easyJet and Norwegian aircraft, but they'll serve the same old destinations that already have London connections. The UK economy needs new flights to South America and Asia that will attract inbound investment, not more flights to Alicante that predominantly benefit the Spanish economy.