Regional airports

Title:     “The Expansion of Regional Airports   – Really a good thing?”

Date:     September 2009

Author:   AirportWatch

Length:     12 pages

Summary:       The report argues the case against the expansion of regional airports.  There are strong arguments on grounds of the air tourism deficit losing local economies billions; on the carbon emissions generated by these airports, and the local environmental and noise implications.

Link: The Expansion of Regional Airports   and one page summary. 

Title: Why airport expansion is bad for regional economies – FoE briefing 2005

Date: 2005

Author: Friends of the Earth

Length:  8 pages

Summary: This briefing shows new analysis that at a regional level these figures are even
more stark. For example the North East earned £177 million from overseas visitors
in 2004, but North East residents flying abroad spent £938 million – five times
as much, resulting in a deficit to the North East economy of £761 million. All
regions except London run a huge economic deficit from aviation.

The UK runs a massive economic deficit from air travel. Foreign visitors arriving by air spent nearly  £11 billion in the UK in 2004, but UK residents flying out spent  £26 billion abroad – a loss to the UK economy of  £15 billion pounds.

Link:  Why airport expansion is bad for regional economies – FoE briefing 2005