A report from economic consultants Frontier Economics commissioned by BAA, which owns six UK airports including Heathrow Airport, says poor aviation links could cost Britain £14bn in lost business over 10 years and a lack of direct flights from the UK to emerging markets may already be costing the country £1.2bn. The report was commissioned in response to the UK government ruling out a third runway at London's Heathrow. The report said Britain "risks being cut off from global growth" and becoming "a less competitive place to do business" because it is losing out to European competitors in the battle for flights to emerging markets. The cost to the UK could rise to £1.6bn by 2021 - equivalent to one-third of the UK's current balance of trade deficit, the report said. It said that if Heathrow's capacity remained constrained, Heathrow was likely to lose its position as Europe's busiest airport by 2021, falling to third behind Frankfurt and Paris Charles de Gaulle.
UK aviation shortage 'threatens growth'
