Aviation vital to growth, says BAA as it welcomes Budget
23-Mar-2011 Today’s Budget highlights the many opportunities for generating growth British firms have by forging greater links with emerging markets.
BAA believes aviation thus has a critical part to play in our recovery, since the only way to travel direct to the majority of destinations across China, India, South America and Africa, is from Heathrow, the UK's only hub airport.
Welcoming today's Budget, Colin Matthews, BAA's chief executive, said:
Air Passenger Duty (APD)
"Clearly we weren't expecting any tax cuts, but nevertheless a freeze in APD will be a welcome relief not just for Londoners, but for everyone across the UK who relies on Heathrow to connect them around the world.
"We have to remember that air taxes don't just hit holidaymakers - they also hurt the competitiveness of London as a world city, and without sufficient levels of tourism, everything from retail to the arts will suffer."
Measures to support growth
"The economy will remain fragile for some time to come which is why we welcome moves to support enterprise. It's essential though, that we have the right trade links with emerging markets so firms can take advantage of growth across Brazil, Russia, India and China and these will only come through a hub airport like Heathrow
Help for construction industry
"The construction industry is a key driver of the economy and at Heathrow the brand new £2 billion Terminal 2 we're building is one of the biggest construction projects in Europe. As with many development projects, every penny of the £1 billion we spend every year on capital investment is privately funded, so measures to support the broader construction industry that will get Britain building will be a welcome boost."
Cut in red tape
"As the UK's biggest single-site employer with 76,000 staff, we very much welcome any moves which cut red tape and reduce bureaucracy."