New analysis reveals millions of UK jobs rely on aviation
As the economy struggles to recover, the importance of air links to UK businesses has been made clear today, with statistics available for every single local authority.
The analysis showed that in the UK:
- Goods worth £60bn were exported by air last year.
- Almost three million people work in tourism, a sector heavily reliant on air travel and international visitors.
- Some 3.7 million people are employed by foreign-owned companies dependent on good air links for location and trade.
The analysis was carried out by the Aviation Foundation using Government statistics focusing on tourism, inward investment and exports. The aviation industry directly employs 220,000 people nationally but it is the thousands of businesses, from factories to B&Bs, which depend on the services provided by this workforce.
1
Oxford Economics, 2010.
2
Business Register and Employment Survey, ONS, 2009 [latest combined tourism figures].
3
ONS, Count and Employment of VAT and/or PAYE based Foreign Owned Local Units by Region and Country of the UK by employment size band for 2010.
The Aviation Foundation has launched the Great British Flying Test campaign to highlight to politicians and communities the importance of aviation to the local economy. The campaign includes a film made in the town furthest away from a major international airport, showing how even here a striking number of local people rely on aviation.
CEOs of major airlines and airports represented by the Aviation Foundation backed the campaign. Willie Walsh of International Airlines Group, owner of British Airways, Colin Matthews of Heathrow, Charlie Cornish of M.A.G and Steve Ridgway of Virgin Atlantic came together to say: “Local businesses across the UK desperately need world-class air links. Britain has been a proud pioneer in aviation but we are in danger of taking this for granted and falling behind our better-connected competitors.
“We want to see a greater number of politicians championing aviation. Our Great British Flying Test campaign will be showing them how many of their constituents’ jobs depend on aviation and we look forward to discussing the results with them in the run-up to the next election.”
The Aviation Foundation promotes the vital economic and social benefits of aviation to the UK. A non-profit organisation unaffiliated to any political party, the Aviation Foundation has been established by British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Heathrow and M.A.G. It is supported by trade organisations representing aerospace, airlines and airports across the country. More than 150 companies and organisations have signed the Aviation Foundation pledge to support a successful UK aviation industry.
