The Guvnor
26th Nov 2001, 20:48
Air travel to grow by 5% annually
Mon, 26 Nov 01 - 16:53
Air travel is set to grow by around 5% a year, according to aviation expert James Halsted.
Current discounted air fares, especially in the wake of September 11th, combined with continued economic growth would lead to an expanding sector, Mr. Halsted said.He told BBC Radio Four's 'You and Yours': 'As the fares come down, which they inevitably do, more people are attracted, but more importantly as the economy grows there is more wealth available for people to be able to afford to travel.
'Because of these two events the industry will be growing, and effectively growing about 5% a year, and if we do not provide the capacity for that, then for us as individuals the cost of travelling will rise, so it will cost us more to go on holiday', he warned.Mr. Halsted's comments follow the decision last week to give the go-ahead for the construction of Terminal 5 at Heathrow Airport.
The chief executive of the Airport Operators' Association has also expressed confidence that the air travel industry will recover in the wake of the September 11th attacks. Keith Jowett drew comparison with the situation immediately after the Gulf War at the beginning of last decade. He told the same programme: 'In the longer term it is bound to be the case that there is an increasing need and desire for the British public to travel both on business and leisure'.
'As we saw in the early 90s after the Gulf War, the traffic came back very quickly. This is a slightly different situation and it may take longer to recover, but it will recover'. Mr. Jowett's comments come as the government continues with its consultation to decide how best to take pressure off airports in the South of England.
[ 26 November 2001: Message edited by: The Guvnor ]
Mon, 26 Nov 01 - 16:53
Air travel is set to grow by around 5% a year, according to aviation expert James Halsted.
Current discounted air fares, especially in the wake of September 11th, combined with continued economic growth would lead to an expanding sector, Mr. Halsted said.He told BBC Radio Four's 'You and Yours': 'As the fares come down, which they inevitably do, more people are attracted, but more importantly as the economy grows there is more wealth available for people to be able to afford to travel.
'Because of these two events the industry will be growing, and effectively growing about 5% a year, and if we do not provide the capacity for that, then for us as individuals the cost of travelling will rise, so it will cost us more to go on holiday', he warned.Mr. Halsted's comments follow the decision last week to give the go-ahead for the construction of Terminal 5 at Heathrow Airport.
The chief executive of the Airport Operators' Association has also expressed confidence that the air travel industry will recover in the wake of the September 11th attacks. Keith Jowett drew comparison with the situation immediately after the Gulf War at the beginning of last decade. He told the same programme: 'In the longer term it is bound to be the case that there is an increasing need and desire for the British public to travel both on business and leisure'.
'As we saw in the early 90s after the Gulf War, the traffic came back very quickly. This is a slightly different situation and it may take longer to recover, but it will recover'. Mr. Jowett's comments come as the government continues with its consultation to decide how best to take pressure off airports in the South of England.
[ 26 November 2001: Message edited by: The Guvnor ]