Heathrow Airport - The Industries Who Make It Work
click here to download and print this website as a PDFAviation is bad!If you give a damn for the planet then don't fly - the message really is that simple. If you want to know why, then this is not the website for you, if you want to know more about the aviation industry and Heathrow in particular then read on.
Heathrow airport is the largest airport in Europe. It is a major hub for 190 destinations, including transatlantic flights. It is also one of the biggest cargo airports in the world and is seeking to expand further with the building of terminal 5.
Heathrow airport in 2006
- 90 airlines
- 68,000 employees in the airport
- 67.7 million passengers.
- 1,3 million tonnes of freight a year.
Heathrow is more than just runways and passengers. Huge amounts of infrastructure is required to keep it going. We will break this down into key sectors. Some are vital to the airport as a whole, others are actively promoting air travel as the way forward.
In the former are the service companies who maintain, clean and supply the planes. A plane with no fuel, freight or baggage is not going to be taking off; likewise no food or toilet roll will pu a damper on many long haul flights.
The latter category includes couriers and tour operators with cheap holiday flights and promise of 'next day deliveries' fueling the demand for expansion. The bigger players have their own airlines to move people and goods. Food is incraesingly being transported by air, even the non-perishable varieties.
We are calling on people to take non-violent direct action around the Camp for Climate Action, taking place near Heathrow in a week's time. This site includes details of airlines, suppliers and cargo companies based around Heathrow.
Campaigner Joanna Maguire stated, "Look at the crazy summer weather we are having. The effects of high-level atmospheric emissions both on our climate and the ozone layer are a serious issue and we need to take actio now. More and more businesses are offering ridiculously cheap flights for holidays and unnecessary next day deliveries around the world."
Another activist, David Beddington, added, "Heathrow does not exist in isolation. All these companies are profiting from cheap fuel and actively encourage the growth of flights. This has to stop and we are calling on people to take non-violent direct action to protect our futures. It needs to be hammered home that their business may be lawful, but globally they are contributing to terrible crimes against humanity. We want people to take direct action to make these companies and their customers aware that they are contributing to famine, flooding and destitution around the world."
This website is produced independently of the Camp for Climate Action, though it is within its policy of calling for direct action to be taken against the root causes of climate change. The purpose of the website is to inform people on how the industry around Heathrow works - the airport is simply the focus of a bigger problem.
Campaigners doubt that the government or corporations are capable of making the necessary societal changes necessary to minimise the damage climate chaos is going to inflict on the earth and its inhabitants.
For more information on taking action on Climate Change visit www.networkforclimateaction.org.uk