Irwin Mitchell Welcomes Report

A new report has said that the north of England is missing out on growth and jobs as a result of poor transport connections to airports.

Transport for the North, the organisation which produced the study for the Independent International Connectivity Commission (IICC), says that the government’s attempts to drive economic growth across the UK will not happen unless links to the north of England’s airports are modernised. 

The report found that while the north currently accounts for around a quarter of the UK’s population, its seven airports handle just 15% of all airport passengers in the UK.

It said the number of air passengers in the north could nearly double to 75m by 2050 with modernised road and rail links and new international destinations from airports such as Manchester. It recommended that by 2050 90% of long-haul passengers should be able to fly directly from the north to their international destination, compared with just 50% currently.

John Cridland, the chair of Transport for the North, said: “These inadequate ground transport links, coupled with not enough direct services to key international destinations, mean that passengers from the north often have to travel from southern gateways. They also act as a disincentive for both business and leisure travellers to visit the region.

“It’s clear that the north’s ports and airports are key economic assets for the region, with nearly 40 million passengers flying from the region each year and around a third of all UK freight using northern ports. 

“Yet we know that the lack of access to and from our ports and airports is holding them back, with congestion on our roads and railways making it difficult for people and goods to reach international gateways.”

He added: “Unlike in the south, where ports and airports are heavily congested, the north’s international gateways have unused capacity. We believe international connectivity starts on the ground; by properly utilising available resources we can both boost the economy of the north and ease pressure on overloaded ports and airports elsewhere. We need to start promoting the north as a destination of choice, both to do business and to visit.”

Roy Beckett, regional managing partner at Irwin Mitchell in Manchester, said:

Expert Opinion

“Through our own UK Powerhouse report and our involvement with the CBI’s Unlocking Regional Growth campaign, we know how important improved transport links are to solving the 'productivity puzzle'.

“So far, much of the debate has been about rail and road, but it is interesting to see here in this report greater focus on the importance of airports in helping to tackle the economic challenges that we have in the UK.

“What is clear from this report is that we can’t expect change without significant investment in infrastructure. This is something that we strongly support and hope that through greater devolution of powers, this will soon start to happen.”
Roy Beckett - Partner