Heathrow link ‘real boost to finance’

Saturday 27th January 2007, 12:00AM GMT.

THE securing of a route to Heathrow puts Jersey ‘light years’ ahead of Guernsey and the Isle of Man in terms of its profile as an offshore finance centre, Chief Minister Frank Walker said yesterday.

Senator Walker described Heathrow as the ‘jewel in the crown’ and said the Island had missed the link since British Airways pulled out citing heavy losses in 2000. The Chief Minister was speaking at a reception at the Airport to mark the official announcement of the launch of Bmi services on 25 March. ‘It is a tremendous shot in the arm for the Island. What is good for the economy is good for everyone. It is good for our status and it puts us into a different league from Guernsey and the Isle of Man in terms of being an offshore finance centre. It’s a huge coup for Jersey,’ he said.

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