With the news of the green light for its expansion, Heathrow Airport is beginning an exciting phase in its history. With the opportunity to build a third runway comes an investment that is expected to be at least £14 billion and Heathrow is eager that businesses around the UK have access to this investment.
In September, the Scottish Chambers of Commerce were delighted to host the Scottish leg of the Heathrow Business Summit. The annual summits are an opportunity for businesses in all corners of the UK to access Heathrow’s supply chain, with the potential to have meetings that can lead to important and lasting economic partnerships. These meetings underline Heathrow’s importance to the Scottish economy – the airport is already an economic artery connecting Scotland with the rest of the world, and by partnering with SCC to host the summit, the economic benefit can be felt even more directly by Scottish businesses.
Delegates met with key members of Heathrow’s supply chain, including companies such as Balfour Beatty, Babcock, and World Duty Free. The day began with a breakfast reception, which was punctuated by speeches from SCC Director Neil Amner, Heathrow Chief Executive John Holland-Kaye. Following this, delegates were given the opportunity to network with each other and members of the wider chamber network.
After breakfast, the main event began. SCC facilitated meetings between supply chain members and delegates, who represented businesses from a variety of sectors such as construction, manufacturing and food and drink. Over 100 Scottish SMEs were present at the summit, and attendees and organisers alike found the event productive and are optimistic that it will lead to concrete future results.
Better connections to Heathrow will give Scottish businesses more opportunity to reach markets, to expand and trade with the world. Last month, British Airways announced that from the summer of 2019 that they would be expanding their service to Inverness airport. The airline, who reintroduced a service in 2016 after an absence of around a decade, will increase weekly flights from 10 to 16 in the summer, with winter weekly flights going from seven to 14. This will also include a new morning service from Inverness enabling a daily commute for business passengers.
This is a significant step in improving accessibility to regions all across Scotland, and not just to traditionally economically dominant cities such as Glasgow or Edinburgh.
Stewart Nicol, chief executive of Inverness Chamber of Commerce, described the news as “excellent” for the Highlands region.
He added: “This development will have significant benefits for the region, improving connections for business travellers and increasing opportunities for the growing number of visitors to our area.”
Contact communication@scottishchambers.org.uk to register for any future supply chain events.
