 Press Release - 7 October 2005 |
HOW MUCH DID YOU PAY FOR THIS RUBBISH, BAA?
Stop Stansted Expansion (SSE) has ridiculed a report trumpeted in a BAA
press release today (7 October) which makes extravagant claims about the
contribution made by airports to the UK economy whilst ignoring the economic
downsides.
The report was actually published last month by the Airports Operators
Association (AOA) whose motto is "Speaking for Airports". [see Note 1]
SSE Economics Adviser Brian Ross described the report as "About as
independent as having Alex Ferguson referee his own team in a home game at
Old Trafford." Mr Ross continued: "This report has been bought and paid for
by the AOA whose largest member is BAA. It's not worth the paper its
printed upon but it would be amusing to find out how much they had to pay
for this rubbish."
For anyone interested in genuine independent analysis, SSE recommends the
official government data published by the Office of National Statistics,
which show that the UK had a Balance of Payments deficit of £18.5 billion in
2004 on air travel and tourism. [see Note 2]
Brian Ross concluded, "You don't need a Nobel Prize in economics to question
the overall economic benefit to the UK of subsidising an Irish airline to
buy American aeroplanes in order
to transport vast numbers of British people to spend their money in France
and Spain."
ENDS
Note 1: "The Economic & Social Impact of Airports", Airport Operators Association, Sep. 2005
Note 2: Sources: ONS Travel and Tourism MQ6 series data for 2004, International Passenger Survey, 2004 and 'The Pink Book, 2005', ONS, Chapter
3, page 42 - all accessible via the ONS website at www.statistics.gov.uk
FURTHER INFORMATION
Carol Barbone, Campaign Director, SSE: M 0777 552 3091 and cbarbone@mxc.co.uk
Brian Ross, Economics Adviser, SSE: 01279 814961 and brian.ross@lineone.net
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