GLASGOW firms have revealed a loss of business following the shock decision eight months ago by bmi bosses to axe flights between the city and London.

This comes amid fears among business leaders that more domestic flights to Heathrow will be axed in favour of more profitable long-distance routes in and out of the London airport.

Concerns have been raised with BAA, which owns Heathrow, as well as the coalition government, and the Scottish Council for Development and Industry is demanding that landing slots at the airport be set aside for domestic flights.

SCDI's policy chief Gareth Williams has pleaded with government ministers to drop their opposition for a third runway at Heathrow and called for guaranteed landing slots to serve "regional economic centres".

While welcoming consultation on Westminster's aviation strategy he said: "The Government was fundamentally mistaken in its decisions on new capacity, above all at Heathrow. This must be reconsidered."

A poll by the SCDI found that investors attracted to Glasgow recognised the importance of direct flights between Scotland's biggest city and Heathrow while 66% of firms said their business had suffered as a result of bmi axing the direct flights link.

Scotland's Transport Secretary Keith Brown and Alex Neil, cabinet secretary for infrastructure, have also raised the issue with Westminster ministers and BAA.

Both intervened before last week's announcement of a provisional agreement which sees bmi being sold to British Airways which would have a monopoly on flights between Scotland and Heathrow.

gordon.thomson@ eveningtimes.co.uk