THROUGH our “Keep The Region Flying” campaign, we have done our best to underline the importance of the North-East having effective air links.

In our view, it is vital to the future prosperity of this great region that it has airports which are convenient for holiday passengers and which meet the needs of businesses.

We therefore welcome yesterday’s declaration from Hugh Lang, group director of Peel Airports, that the company intends to pursue long-term investment plans at Durham Tees Valley Airport.

With the economic downturn hitting the aviation industry hard, understandable concerns have been raised about whether a company such as Peel may review its commitment to regional airports.

Those concerns were heightened by last month’s loss of the bmi service to Heathrow, which was a significant blow to the airport and the Tees Valley.

If Peel did pull out, it would be hard to see a viable future for Durham Tees Valley in the current economic conditions, so yesterday’s vote of confidence by Mr Lang should not be underestimated.

Neither should his warning that flights from Newcastle to Heathrow are also under threat over the next 18 months, unless the Government acts to protect landing slots for regional flights.

The North-East has world-class visionary companies and a worldclass adaptable workforce. But if the region is to fulfil its undoubted potential, it needs transport links which give it a fair chance to compete internationally.