Regional services 'must be protected'

An aviation industry group has stressed the importance of regional routes between airports in the UK.

Chris Goater, a spokesperson for the Airport Operators Association (AOA), said that the regional network around the UK should be protected, particularly where flights coming into and out of Heathrow Airport are concerned.

The comments followed a report from the Competition Commission suggesting that airport taxes for Heathrow and Gatwick should be raised.

It has been suggested that the higher expenses that airlines would face as a result of this could cause them to cut services or pass the cost on to passengers.

Mr Goater said: "We are very keen to encourage, protect and increase the number of regional services in to Heathrow because we are seeing a reduction in those regional links. They are very important.

"Places like Liverpool have lost their Heathrow link in the past and they are keen to get it back because it's good for the businesses and the people in the city centre."

However he went on to stress that airport prices would have to be increased a considerable amount before having a significant impact on regional services.