Useless but interesting information.....
 

I'm doing some market research for my new job, which includes providing services to airports & airlines, and I came across this bit of information this morning....

Busiest International Airport
London Heathrow handles the most international passengers (as opposed to passengers on domestic flights, which make up the majority of traffic at US airports). On an overall scale, including domestic flights, Heathrow ranks third behind Atlanta and Chicago.

Busiest City (all airports)

When the flights from all airports in a city are combined, London is the busiest aviation centre in the world.

Only London, Tokyo and New York have two airports in the top 30 worldwide.
Combining New York's JFK (29 943 084) and Newark (29 202 654 ) still does not reach the same level as London Heathrow.

Despite being the major international gateway for Japan, Tokyo Narita (28 883 606) is overshadowed by the mainly domestic Haneda (61 079 478). This puts Tokyo on a relatively even keel with Heathrow (63 338 641) and Gatwick (29 628 423).

When Stansted (18 750 000), Luton (6 500 000), and London City (1 500 000) are added on top, London handles a total of almost 120 million passengers annually.

One has to ask, why ? Why London, why the UK ??

.

I guess we are a handy little island near the Atlantic.

Most British people go abroad for holiday regularly. This isn't the norm in many other countries (and not just for fiscal reasons - look at France/America). Yes, some people elsewhere do go abroad every year, but they're a minority. On top of that, the UK (London in particular) is a fairly popular tourist destination in itself so you get a lot people from abroad coming into it.

I'm not sure, but I think there's probably also a greater proportion of our country's flights go through there probably because a lot of smaller airports here have v. limited number of destinations/v. high prices. I mean, I'm going to America later this year and would love to fly from Cardiff airport (£10-15 taxi away), but it's significantly cheaper to get a coach down & hotel for a night in London than paying the inflated local prices.

Why london, why the uk.


Simple, It is not economic to get public transport in the uk. it costs to much and takes too long.

If I have a meeting in London tomorrow I would fly down. far quicker, cheaper and reliable than the train, even including my drive to Madchester airport in the first place as well.

I would guess the same is true for european business/vacation. Whereas in europe they tend to have reliable affordable hi speed trains and therefore use them

One thing to think ourselves lucky about. From London, which is only a max of 3 hours or so from MOST major population centres ( I said most...) we can fly just about anywhere in the world. If you add in just a single change elsewhere its probably most places of any import.

..........Most people want to leave this Country on as many opportunities as possible? :wink:

god how did i know you'd come up with something like that :roll:

.............If you cant tell, can i borrow your rose tinted spectacles please. :wink:

i dont wear them, not my colour. i know this country has its faults, but its still the country i was born and raised in and love very much. i wouldn't want to live any where else in the world.

Fair do's. I know I harp on about it, but in a strange way, I think it is because I am fairly
patriotic deep down. I am just pretty disillusioned as to the state of the Nation at present tis
all. I guess like a lot of people.
I'm fully aware that all the problems cannot be laid squarely on the shoulders of this
Government as well.
My comment was only meant as a polite snipe, as much to do with the weather as the 'state of
Britain'!