Leading Conservative MP John Gummer has called for all flights between Manchester and London to be scrapped.
The former environment minister told the Manchester Evening News that the flights should be grounded to help cut the production of greenhouse gases.
But the airport and airlines said John Gummer was simplifying the issue, saying the rail infrastructure was not in place and that many people flew on to other destinations.
John Gummer told the Commons that there was a need for a transport policy that would enable people to travel by train, asking “what are we going to do about the 30-odd flights a day to Manchester?”
The MP quoted from a report he has produced for Conservative leader David Cameron that claimed a quarter of flights out of London airports go to places reached in the same time by train.
Manchester Airport’s Jonathan Bailey said that cutting flights would not only put pressure on the rail service, but reduce competition, and said more should be done to promote long haul destinations from regional airports, reducing the need to pass through hubs such as Heathrow.
