As the United Kingdom’s only hub airport, Heathrow provides the important links that connect the UK with the rest of the world, including the new global economies of India and China. Two-thirds of the UK’s long-haul flights depart from Heathrow. It operates the UK’s only direct air links to emerging world cities such as Shanghai, Beijing, Mumbai, and Sao Paulo. More than half of all the UK’s air freight passes through Heathrow, the majority in the hold of passenger planes.

A recent report by the British Chambers of Commerce estimates the economic benefits of a third runway at £30bn.  The same report states that delaying a third runway would cost the UK economy £1bn every single year.

You can read the full report here

Heathrow employs 72,000 people and supports an estimated additional 100,000 further jobs right across the UK. It is the biggest single-site employer in the UK. Nearly half of Heathrow’s employees come from the five boroughs directly surrounding the airport – Ealing, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Slough and Spelthorne. Airport jobs are vital to the health of the local community – for example, one in every ten people in employment in Hounslow works at Heathrow. Unemployment rates in the Heathrow area are consistently among the lowest in the region and the airport is also a major provider for training in the local area – the Heathrow Academy has recently been awarded Centre of Vocational Excellence status.

Source: Official Labour Market Statistics and Heathrow Employment Survey.

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International transport links are a crucial factor when companies are deciding to invest. A 2007 survey of 500 of Europe’s top companies found that 52% of companies considered transport links a vital factor in deciding where to locate their business; and 58% identified good access to markets, customers or clients as essential. A 2007 survey from Think London showed that investors rated access to markets and ease of international travel as more important factors than availability of skilled labour and the overall business climate in their decision to locate in London. Heathrow is also of vital importance at a regional level. 90% of businesses in the Thames Valley Economic Partnership believe that Heathrow is important to the success of the region, with 76% stating the airport is of critical importance.

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Heathrow has two runways operating at 99% of their permitted capacity. Frankfurt has three runways, Paris CDG has four, Amsterdam Schipol has five, and all operate at less than 75% of their capacity. The number of destinations served by Heathrow has fallen from 227 in 1990 to 187 today. Over the same period Frankfurt, Paris and Amsterdam have all increased their destinations and can offer new slots to emerging economies. The number of British regional airports served from Heathrow has also fallen, from 21 to 8. But Heathrow’s loss has been the continent’s gain. Amsterdam and Paris now serve more British regional airports than Heathrow.

*Frankfurt has a fourth runway under construction; not all of Amsterdam Schipol's runways operate at the same time.

Key: 
mppa: million passengers per annum
ATMs: air traffic movements
% full: Current ATMs as a proportion of 2010 capacity

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One-third of Heathrow’s passengers are transfer passengers. These passengers  are important because they help to maintain a global network of direct overseas air routes. For example, there might not be enough demand in London to support regular and frequent flights to Beijing. But because one-third of Heathrow’s passengers are transfer passengers, this creates enough demand for airlines to be able to operate a frequent long-haul route. The transfer passengers on this route will in turn support other overseas air routes. It is because of these transfer passengers that the majority of all UK long-haul flights depart from Heathrow.

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