Plea to scrap London air link

Ian Craig

December 04, 2007

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A LEADING Tory has called for flights between Manchester and London to be scrapped.

Former environment minister John Gummer said there was `no reason' for people to fly to the capital and they should be made to take the train instead.

His call came in a report on `green' issues being considered by Conservative leader David Cameron as he draws up his party's environment policy.

Mr Gummer claimed an increasing number of people were choosing the high-speed rail link for the 200-mile journey and called for commuter flights to be grounded to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

There are currently 32 scheduled flights a day between Manchester and London's four main airports, carrying a total of 1.5m passengers a year.

Mr Gummer is joint author of the wide-ranging Quality of Life Challenge report, which is being considered by Mr Cameron's team. The report claimed a quarter of flights out of London airports go to places reached in the same time by train.

The report also said passengers flying to Heathrow to catch a connecting flight for overseas should also use trains.

It said: "Around 100,000 of the 470,000 flights using Heathrow every year are to near-Europe destinations . . . with a reasonable rail alternative, including Manchester, Leeds and Newcastle."

Mr Gummer said in the Commons: "What are we going to do about the 30-odd flights a day to Manchester? There is no reason to have those.What about a transport policy that would enable people to go by train from Manchester to Heathrow?"

Manchester Airport and air firms accused him of oversimplifying the issue. The airport's Jonathan Bailey said: "If London air links were removed overnight, it would put a severe burden on the rail system and remove choice and competition.

"We would like more direct long haul routes to avoid short hops to hub airports, but both rail and air are needed for the immediate future."

British Airways said half the people who flew were making connecting journeys, so `rail is not a practical alternative'.

Climate change minister Phil Woolas, MP for Oldham and Saddleworth, said: "My constituents have as much right to fly as everyone else."

A spokesman for Tory leader Mr Cameron stressed: "These are Mr Gummer's personal views rather than Party policy."

Mr Gummer told the M.E.N: "We actually do have to reduce our carbon footprint. If we don't do that then everybody's life will be in peril..

"The first thing is we must make sure there is an adequate alternative. If we had a proper infrastructure policy then we would be able to remove the argument for flying from London to Manchester.

"We don't want to stop people going on holiday but we have to get rid of these flights that are fundamentally unnecessary."

What do you think of the suggestion? Have your say.

Articles

Idea grounded by passengers

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Gerhard Helber (04/12/2007 at 09:17)

So, I flew to Sydney in July. I flew from Manchester to Heathrow and it cost £89 and I changed terminals at Heathrow and I was on my way.

I travel to London on a weekend for £200, the train is late. I have to get the underground from Euston to Heathrow and it takes one hour or I get the underground to Paddington and get on the Heathrow Express. This whole journey adds two hours at least to my time. If I fly BA and the shuttle is delyaed, they know who is on the shuttle (who has connecting flights) and say that the radio ahead to connecting flights ground operations, expalining if tehy are late landing. Does my tibe driver do this?

Mr Gummer, why not ban people from flying to Spain in the summer if it is a good one here? No need to fly there, use a beach here.

Two thousand delegates FLEW to Bali to discuss how to cut emmisions? Wrong.

The Bobelesque (04/12/2007 at 09:30)

Remember Gummer - he was the one who made his kid eat a burger live on TV just as BSE was emerging.

Why don't politicians stop telling me what to do.

I have just booked a flight to Heathrow for no reason, just to spite the idiot Gummer. I'm doing my best to extend my carbon footprint.

Kurt Stevens, Sale (04/12/2007 at 10:56)

Build more motorways - that would remove the need for people flying internally.

tids (04/12/2007 at 11:01)

stupid idea - i'm not going to struggle into piccadilly to get on a train to london then get across london to heathrow or gatwick with a suitcase - rucksack and ski equipment when i can drive or get a taxi from home to ringway and just check it all in. why dont these clowns think about it before opening their mouths.

come-on-city (04/12/2007 at 11:24)

Mr Gummer says:

"We don't want to stop people going on holiday but we have to get rid of these flights that are fundamentally unnecessary."

Can we also get rid of government advisors who are fundamentally unnecessary?

Tubby Scruff (04/12/2007 at 11:39)

Is Gummer employed by Virgin ?

Who the hell does he think he is to tell us how to travel ? Especially as in his own words he says " the train service is reasonable". Not all of us travel first class on expenses.

Simon B, www.manchestertolltax.com (04/12/2007 at 12:00)

Typical I have got to London so I dont care attitude from John Selwyn Gummer.

Remember him?

I see he has dropped Selwyn part of his so he hopes no one remember him.

He is the one who attempted to feed a beefburger to his four yearold daughter during the BSE panic of 1990.

Octavius Tinsworth Ace (04/12/2007 at 12:15)

I have never understood why people fly between Manchester and London unless they're catching a connecting flight, given the hassles involved with getting to and from the airport, checking in, boarding, etc. Having said that, more could be done to make the trains a more attractive alternative. It costs £60 return to London off-peak, while peak hours journeys are so astronomically expensive it's hilarious.

CrankedUpReallyHigh, Tameside (04/12/2007 at 12:33)

'Build more motorways'

Destroy more green belt? Superb.

help (04/12/2007 at 12:41)

perhaps if BA didn't fly majority of its flights from London and did more direct routes from manchester they could cut the flights then, simple. But the London monoploy remains.

dessie, manchester (04/12/2007 at 12:42)

maybe because you can get a seat on a train, maybe its cheaper or maybe its quicker. anyways why shouldnt we have a choice!! shut up

Black Flag (04/12/2007 at 12:54)

Put a landing tax on aircraft which is equivalent to fuel duty on the fuel it has used during the flight. Once we have a level playing field, the market can decide which form of transport is best.

I would expect the number of domestic flights to reduce substantially.

Simon B, www.manchestertolltax.com (04/12/2007 at 12:56)

He is not even a local MP.

His constitunacy is Suffolk Coastal, 81 miles North East of London in Suffolk.

Pentest (04/12/2007 at 12:56)

Has anyone thought have looking at the price differance before commenting on taking the train Aprox £42.00 there by Virgin Train Aprox £122.00 back, Scandalous. I think you'll find its more economical to fly to london or take national express if you're not in too much of a hurry. Trains ...forget it!

brownpl, Manchester (04/12/2007 at 12:57)

I took the train to London this weekend - a 4 hour journey on the way down because of engineering works and a 3 hour return journey (instead of just over 2hrs) because of overrunning engineering works - in carriages rammed to the rafters with passengers and inadequate space for luggage. So next time I will be flying as it is a VALID alternative!

tids (04/12/2007 at 12:59)

the solution is to expand ringway and have more flights from it, so we dont have to go via anywhere and just go direct to our ultimate destination. i would gladly avoid heathrow at all costs - its a dump - had choice of going to america via heathrow or amsterdam - no contest - where are my clogs

The Bobelesque (04/12/2007 at 13:03)

Octavius: me and Lady Bob have just booked two returns Picc to Euston for £50 all in. Travelling friday afternoon, returning sunday evening. You can get there cheaply if you wish.

Blip, Manchester (04/12/2007 at 13:15)

Fair enough. And while we're at it we could also scrap flights between London and Brussels or Paris, because we have the high-speed Eurostar, don't we Mr Gummer?

better off red (04/12/2007 at 13:27)

try getting a train after 8:46pm.
you can't.
well done the tories.
well done virgin.

Andre Peretti (04/12/2007 at 13:31)

When a TGV (high speed train)terminal was built at Paris CDG airport, the American airlines and Air France started code-sharing with the TGV. This air-rail connectivity has dramatically reduced the number of internal flights. So, the solution is not authoritatively scrapping the flights but making them so pointless that people will stop using them.
I think air-rail connection is the only solution for the future and money not invested in it is not money saved. It's money wasted.

David,North M/C (04/12/2007 at 13:36)

People will choose how they wish to travel themselves, not some Tory MP

Stephen Andrew (04/12/2007 at 13:42)

The majority of people who fly to London are travelling on connecting flights because our so called 'national' airline has decided that they don't want to commit to the regions but want to focus on Heathrow instead. Brtish Airways - more like London Airways! Therefore many travellers, particularly long-haul passengers, have no choice but to fly to London first. Can't see people wanting to mess around getting the train before a 24 hour journey to New Zealand or wherever.

I know, why don't we just ban people from flying altogether and then we can all stay in this country for our holidays and enjoy the delightful weather we get and extremely reasnoble prices for food & drink etc. Far better than going to Spain or Greece hey! Get real!!

The Truth (04/12/2007 at 14:07)

Gummer made the most unenvironmentally friendly decision ever in the nineties. He decided to approve the Trafford Centre against all emerging national policy regarding out of town retail. The impact on the the environment is incalculable.

edwards (04/12/2007 at 15:33)

walk though manchester city centre. you dont need to travel anywhere to feel like you're somewhere in eastern europe.

The Bobelesque (04/12/2007 at 15:39)

Edwards: excellent point. You'll be getting in hot water like Morrissey - telling the truth isn't very PC.

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