A NEW in-depth report highlighting the economic impact of Liverpool Aiport has been written by Tony McDonough for Liverpool Business News, here:
The report highlights how huge the economic cost to the Liverpool City Region would be if the expansion of Liverpool Airport wasn’t given the green light.
At the moment, LJLA contributes an estimated £340 million to the city region each year and supports over 5,000 jobs. But, under the expansion plans this is estimated to increase to over £600 million per year and job creation would rise to over 12,000.
The report goes on to say that the regions economy pre-pandemic was worth £5 billion per year with overseas visitors increasing over the past 10 years. But, with the city’s poor transport links to the airport, foreign investors are stopping short of investing.
So, when Lufthansa announced in December 2021 that it would be launching a new route to its central hub in Frankfurt from LJLA in May 2022 (https://www.liverpoolairport.com/news/2021/12/lufthansa-connects-liverpool-globally) it brought much needed hope – especially at a time when the travel industry was being savaged by the COVID-19 pandemic. The launch of this new route is seen as boost in confidence for not just the airport, but the city region itself and could open up new ‘runways’ of investment in the future.
As I’ve mentioned in my previous blog post, there is big opposition to the plans for LJLA to expand, so are the reasons given an object of balance? Or are they just excuses?
Firstly, business leaders in the region are calling for ‘open dialogue’, and say the “anti-airport sentiment”, by leaders and decision makers “should be avoided”, and is sending out a “negative message”.
Chief Executive of Liverpool Chamber of Commerce, Paul Cherpeau, says: “We should be working collaboratively with our airport, using it as a tool of our economic recovery and rebuild whilst ensuring it minimises its iversll environmental impact.”
Also in the report by LBN Daily, a blunt statement released by Chairman of Downtown in Business, Frank McKenna says: “The commercial naivety of this resolution beggars belief.
“Do councillors not appreciate the cash, the jobs, the significant benefits the airport, directly and indirectly, brings to the city region economy? Did they not question the impact that this will have on the Freeport initiative?”
The opposition seems to be coming from Liverpool City Council leaders itself and they’re using the ‘net zero carbon targets’, as the excuse as to opposition to the airports expansion.
Whilst acknowledging the airport “supports a huge amount of investment and jobs in our city and it’s success is vital to our economic heath”, Liverpool Mayor Joanne Anderson is using the excuse of the council having “declared a climate emergency”, and the regions “commitments to a net zero carbon city and country”, as the reason for opposition. Also, the mayor added that “much had changed”, since the airport first released its masterplan. However, the mayor did add: “Clearly a balance needs to be achieved where economic growth is sustainable for the planet and any airport development in this country would need to be both financially and environmentally sound.”
Metro Mayor, Steve Rotheram also acknowledged the “strategic importance” of LJLA to the region in “terms of international connectivity and as a vital local employer with good, unionised jobs”.
But, in similar fashion to Mayor Joanne Anderson, Mr Rotherham also mentioned: “we must strike a balance between continuing to attract inward investment to our city region and our ambitious net zero targets”.
For me, personally, all I’m hearing is the same excuse being peddled out as to why LJLA shouldn’t expand. Not one person in charge, or who has significant ‘pull’, are coming up with alternative plans for both sides of the argument to work together. It seems we’re going down the ‘normal’ route of debate when we already know how the council are going to vote in future anyway. It seems to be time wasting exercise. But, those who want this expansion (myself included), won’t give up.
I believe that our carbon footprint needs to be reduced, but this can’t be for the sake of progress and better paid jobs for the local economy. Cities such as Manchester and now Leeds are seeing investment by the bucket load, but Liverpool seems to always be stuck in a debate about heritage or net zero and it’s stifling economic growth.
Airlines such as Ryanair are moving routes out of Liverpool and moving them to Manchester and Leeds Bradford Airport is seeing investment and route connections return. This can’t continue and something needs to be done.
LJLA needs this expansion sooner rather than later and we cannot afford to have another situation of debate, delay, debate, delay. We’ve got a plan. Now, we need action. And, the council and its leaders need to back business and allow the airport to be expanded.
The excuses need to stop.
Liam F - Journalist 