Manchester Airport is calling on the government to back a high-speed rail link to connect the hub with major cities in the north.
The airport’s chief executive Ken O’Toole said there was ‘a clear case’ for investment in infrastructure projects like Northern Powerhouse Rail (HS3), which, he said ‘has the potential to transform the Northern economy’.
"If the Northern Powerhouse is to be truly competitive on the global stage, it should be as easy as possible to travel from Hull to Hong Kong; Liverpool to Los Angeles and Sheffield to Singapore," said O’Toole.
"Slashing journey times through investment in NPR could lead to the North securing direct flights to 20-30 key global markets, with millions more people in easy reach of Manchester Airport."
Delivering the opening speech at the UK Northern Powerhouse Conference in Manchester, he said public and private sector leaders from across the North had ensured the Northern Powerhouse project maintained momentum over the past year.
That included Manchester Airport launching direct flights to key markets like Beijing, Houston, Los Angeles and Boston, as well as progressing with its £1 billion Transformation Project, the largest private sector investment in the North.
He added: "We have the plan – the time is now for Government to commit to it, starting in just a few weeks’ time with the Budget."
O’Toole also called on the government to reform aviation taxes, border and visa policies to enable airports like Manchester to ‘unlock their potential’.
