Business

Heathrow courts Northern Ireland firms as part of third runway expansion plans

A DELEGATION from Heathrow Airport has been at sites in Belfast and Craigavon as part of a nationwide tour of 65 sites UK-wide still in the running to be off-site construction centres for its £16 billion third runway expansion.

Heathrow is trying to identify a number of centres to play a key role in supporting expansion’s efficient delivery, mitigating the impact that concentrated construction activity would otherwise have on the airport’s local communities.

Representatives from Heathrow plan to visit six sites in Northern Ireland still in the running to help deliver the new runway - North Foreshore in Belfast, Silverwood business park in Craigavon, Belfast International Airport, Newtownabbey's Global Point business park, the Michelin plant in Ballymena and MJM Marine's Shackleton Barracks site in Limavady

During each visit, the prospective logistics hub will have the opportunity to demonstrate the strengths of their proposal, assessing their suitability before putting successful bids through the next round.

Heathrow expansion is set to deliver up to 5,000 new jobs and £5 billion worth of wider economic benefits across Northern Ireland, in addition to providing more connections to the UK’s only hub airport.

SMEs across Northern Ireland will also have the opportunity to attend the Heathrow Business Summit, which will be held in Belfast for the first time on Wednesday June 20, where the businesses will have the opportunity to meet with Heathrow’s biggest suppliers during ‘speed-dating’ appointments.

The event is being held in partnership with the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce, whose chief executive Ann McGregor said: “Being selected to be a part of Heathrow expansion would be a fantastic opportunity for Northern Ireland in terms of the economic benefits that this would bring.

“MJM Marine along with Mid- and East Antrim Borough Council, Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council, Belfast City Council and the businesses represented by those regions, all provide examples of talented, innovative world-class companies that could provide a range of services.”

Christopher Morrow, head of policy at NI Chamber, said: “Heathrow offers access to the British market and to a wide range of global destinations which are important for export growth, foreign direct investment and tourism.

“We specifically welcome any expansion plans at airports which have relevance for Northern Ireland and boost the connectivity of the region with other areas in the UK and beyond and ensure the UK is open for trade post Brexit.

“Without increasing airport capacity at Heathrow, the UK will lose out on business competitiveness and tourism and that will have a knock-on effect for Northern Ireland with many people travelling through Heathrow en route to the region.”