Analysis by the Civil Aviation Authority shows that international business travel to and from the UK fell by 4.6% in 2008 and 22.2% in 2009, with a further slide in the first half of 2010.
Hardest hit in 2009 were routes between the UK and European Union, where volumes declined by 25%, and between the UK and North America (down 20%). Both regions were particularly hurt by the crisis in the financial services industry, which saw a sharp fall in the numbers of bankers flying.
While the latest data shows a recent pick-up in business travel with global economic recovery, the first half of 2010 remained 28% below 2008's level- though a contributory factor was the closure of European airspace due to Icelandic volcano disruption.
I'm sure the enforced closure of UK's airports due to snow won't have helped the figures and increased APD is also another contributing factor to lament. Still, what do I care about business travel- we do budget by the bucketful.
More at TTel.
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