Walkers Shortbread boss Nicky Walker has highlighted the importance of aviation to the global growth ambitions of one of Scotland’s most famous biscuit brands.
The former Aberdeen Football Club goalkeeper, who took the reins of the family-owned business at the start of the year, said Heathrow Airport was the “best connection” for the firm and its sales to 121 countries worldwide.
In a video produced by the airport, Mr Walker said “aviation is absolutely key to us in terms of customer support and customer visits to our premises”, adding that “Heathrow is the best connection for us”.
“We are based in the north of Scotland, we need a central hub to go anywhere in the world,” he added.
We are based in the north of Scotland, we need a central hub to go anywhere in the world”
– Nicky Walker
“Our international team are using Heathrow as the main thoroughfare for us to get to Europe.
“If Heathrow is to grow we can only assume there will be route options for us as a business and that will allow us to get to new and different markets.”
The support from Walkers comes as the airport highlights its economic impact and ambition to grow sustainably in a new report, Heathrow: Sustainable growth, global connectivity.
The study, which contains new research by consultancy Frontier Economics, found Heathrow was Britain’s “most valuable port” helping contribute to the £28.8 billion worth of goods exported from Scotland pre-pandemic.
Heathrow export hub
It estimates more than £153 billion of non-EU exports and imports travelled through Heathrow while visitors travelling through the airport went on to spend £400 million in towns and cities across the UK as the UK emerged from the pandemic.
The commissioning of the report comes in the wake of months of chaos at the popular hub airport caused by worker shortages.
Recently the airport lifted a cap on the number of passengers – 100,000 – imposed during the summer to help alleviate severe backlogs and long queues.
However, it has also warned it might need to impose flight limits over the busy Christmas period as it looks to continue its recovery from the pandemic which devastated global travel.
The owners of both Heathrow and Gatwick Airports are also anticipating the competition to build a third runway comes off the back burner next year.
Both airports are looking for the UK government to sign off on expansion plans.
Last week the UK transport secretary Mark Harper became the third minister in the role in as many months.
In July the UK government set out its “Jet Zero” strategy to make aviation net zero by 2050 while also committing to “justified” airport expansion.
Conversation