Credit crunch bites Edinburgh Airport

Edinburgh Airport could be affected by the current state of uncertainty in the banking sector in the city, it has been reported.

A report in the Scotsman newspaper indicates that the recent merger of HBOS and LloydsTSB raises the possibility of the departure of HBOS's headquarters from the Scottish capital.

This could result in a dramatic decrease in the numbers of business passengers and may lead to a reduction in services at the airport.

"Some services have been sustained by HBOS, services that have also benefited other smaller businesses and our city's tourism industry," an airport spokeswoman said.

Routes affected by the bank leaving Edinburgh Airport might include the bmi services to Leeds/Bradford Airport and Manchester Airport.

"It is the front end of aeroplanes [business passengers] that attract operators – that is what pays the way," Ron Howard of the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce told the paper.

"If you lose the number of trips at the front end then there could be consequences," he added.

Edinburgh Airport is coming to the end of a major runway resurfacing project aimed at extending its lifespan by a decade.

Posted by Graham Greenaway on the 26/09/2008 14:07:16
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