Most Londoners think London has enough airport capacity already – and no runway is needed

An opinion poll has shown that the vast majority of Londoners think London already has an adequate level of airport capacity for a major global city, new opinion research has found.  A poll by ComRes was commissioned by the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry, found that only 24% of people living in London believe the capital’s airport capacity is inadequate, while 63% say it meets or exceeded their expectations. But the Airports Commission is expected to recommend another runway. The new polling research found that all age groups, social classes, genders, and regions of London believe that runway capacity was in line with their expectations. In a parallel survey, most London businesses also believe that airport capacity met their expectations, albeit by a smaller margin of 52% to 37%. Londoners polled were far more concerned about the availability of housing, with 70% of residents and 74% per cent of bosses saying it was important. Local transport infrastructure was also a far greater concern than airport capacity. London has the largest airport system of any city in the world, with passenger traffic outstripping New York and Tokyo by millions every year. Around 11% of flights abroad are accounted for by business travel.
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Most Londoners think the capital has enough airport capacity already

A Government-backed commission is set to recommend an increase in capacity, however

By JON STONE (Independent)

26 June 2015

The vast majority of Londoners think the capital already has an adequate level of airport capacity for a major global city, new opinion research has found.

A poll by ComRes found that only 24 per cent of people living in London believe the capital’s airport capacity is inadequate, while 63 per cent say it meets or exceeded their expectations.

The finding comes weeks before the expected publication of the Davies Review into air travel in the capital, which is expected to recommend an increase.

“Additional capacity will need to be provided,” the commission’s chair Sir Howard Davies told the Independent in 2013.

The review, commissioned before the election, has seen both Heathrow and Gatwick airports hire extensive lobbying and public relations operations to vie to be the favoured option.

But the new research, commissioned by the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry, found that all age groups, social classes, genders, and regions of London believe that capacity was in line with their expectations.

In a parallel survey, most London businesses also believe that airport capacity met their expectations, albeit by a smaller margin of 52 per cent to 37 per cent.

The same poll found that the sufficient availability of housing was by far the bigger investment priority for Londoners, with 70 per cent of residents and 74 per cent of bosses saying it was important.

Local transport infrastructure was also a far greater concern than airport capacity.

Around 11 per cent of flights abroad are accounted for by business travel; London has the largest airport system of any city in the world, with passenger traffic outstripping New York and Tokyo by millions every year.

It is currently served by Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton, Stansted and London City airports, with a new terminal and extended runway already built at Southend in recent years.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/most-londoners-think-the-capital-has-enough-airport-capacity-already-10348599.html

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A Comres  survey in May in 2015

ComRes interviewed 510 London business decision makers online between 7th and 20th May 2015. Data were weighted to be representative of all London businesses by company size and broad industry sector.  It asked whether delaying a number of government actions (for example, Crossrail, HS2, changes to business rates, or implementing the Airports Commission recommendation) would have an impact on their business.

For most, the implementation of the Airports Commission recommendation was not considered to be important for their business.

http://www.comres.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/LCCI_QES-Q2-2015_Airports-tables_8-June-2015.pdf.

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It says:

The new research by ComRes for London Chamber of Commerce and Industry lists housing, transport and digital connectivity as the top three areas thought to be furthest behind expectations across all three audiences, with businesses also particularly negative about airport capacity.

On all measures tested, a large proportion (from 24% – 87%) of the three audiences asked felt that London’s infrastructure did not meet their expectations for a major world city. More than 1,600 London business leaders, councillors and Londoners were polled on:

  • Sufficient availability of homes: 87% of London councillors; 74% of London business leaders; 70% of Londoners think the capital performs worse than their expectations for a major global city
  • Transport infrastructure: 46% of councillors; 37 of business leaders; 32% of Londoners think existing infrastructure lags behind expectations of a world city
  • Digital connectivity: 45% of councillors; 40% of business leaders; 28% of Londoners feel the capital’s digital connectivity is behind their expectations
  • Airport capacity: 39% of councillors; 37% of businesses; 24% of Londoners said that capacity did not match their expectations for a major world city
  • Provision of schools and colleges: 39% of councillors; 30% of business leaders; 27% of Londoners expected London to have a higher provision as a major global city

The research from London Tomorrow, a thought leadership panel organised by London Chamber of Commerce and Industry in association with EY London and supported by London City Airport, looked at the infrastructure investment needed in the capital and how this could be funded and delivered.

…. (and then carries on with stuff about London City Airport …)

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See also

26.6.2015

Londoners say their infrastructure lags behind expectations of a world city

… but this report was commissioned by the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and London City Airport, so very much focused on runway capacity.