LONDON: GLOBAL AIR TRAVEL HUB

The Times front page. August 11 2006

London continues to be at the centre of global air travel, with six of the past decade’s 10 fastest growing long-haul routes going through London’s major airports, according to analysis by Ascend, the world’s leading provider of information and consultancy to the global aerospace industry.

They claim the world’s top 10 long-haul global growth routes are:1. London ­ Dubai; 2. London­ Chicago; 3. London ­ Hong Kong; 4. Melbourne ­ Singapore; 5. Sydney ­ Singapore; 6. London ­ Singapore; 7. London ­ Mumbai; 8. Dubai ­ Singapore; 9. London ­ New York; 10. Brisbane ­ Singapore

Over the past 10 years, the London and Dubai route has grown faster than any other. On flights between the two cities, the number of seats available has more than tripled since 1996. Emirates now operates 62 flights a week.