OREANDA-NEWS. A group of businesses today set out the benefits that an expanded Heathrow would bring to regions and nations across the UK.

A new report - Heathrow: A national asset - was launched at British Chambers of Commerce. It showcases businesses from across the UK ranging from the Liverpool School of English to HiBreeds an egg exporter based in the East of England, who explain why Heathrow is important to them and what expansion would mean for their future growth.

The report demonstrates that businesses of all sizes from a wide-range of sectors, from manufacturers to high-skilled service industries, benefit from a successful and competitive UK hub airport. From micro-firms with less than 10 employees to large employers with hundreds, each one benefits from Heathrow in different ways. However, what they all have in common is the need for the international links that only Heathrow can provide.

Successful regional airports are vital to providing connectivity for the UK's regions and nations -by feeding into the hub so that businesses can reach long haul destinations Additionally, increasing runway capacity at Heathrow would reduce ticket prices for passengers, allow new airlines to compete in the market and open up access to new routes.

As part of its recent submission to the independent Airports Commission, Heathrow has committed, should a third runway be approved, to ensure the whole of the UK feels the benefit by working with airlines and Government to deliver better air and rail links between Heathrow and the UK's nations and regions.

All around the world a hub airport is seen as a national asset, connecting businesses to global markets and delivering benefits for the whole country. But the UK's hub, Heathrow, is full. Airlines do not have the spare slots to put on direct flights to future growth markets.

Flights that should be coming into the UK are instead flying to other European and Middle Eastern hubs. Only last week, Garuda confirmed that they had chosen Amsterdam as their hub airport for Europe, with the Dutch economy benefiting from direct links to Indonesia, a market of 800 million people.