HC Deb 04 March 1971 vol 812 cc523-4W
84. Mr. Tilney

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will list the questions that have been asked to determine what traffic, both passenger and freight, at present passing through London airports, originates in the north of England, in view of representations made by the airlines that only a small fraction of such traffic does so.

Mr. Noble

An origin and destination survey was carried out at London area airports in 1968. The report is available in the Library. A report on further surveys carried out at Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool and Blackpool airports during 1970 will be available shortly. These surveys covered a one per cent. sample of all passengers passing through the airport during the summer months. The questions included:

  1. (a) Which is the last country you have lived in for 12 months or more?
  2. (b) What are the chief reasons for your journey?
  3. (c) Which town or district have you just come from?
  4. (d) Which flight are you now travelling on?
These surveys are being conducted in a continuing basis and a further six regional airports will be covered this year. All this work is being done on a comparable basis and it is hoped that we shall soon have a complete picture of the pattern of demand for air services in the United Kingdom.