Closing Address

The theme of this Conference has been: 'Airports for people'- In this respect, I think that the most basic fact of all is that we are in a business which already provides a vital service for more than one billion airline passengers a year - that is, some three million a day; and we believe that this number of customers to be cared for will double during the next 13 years to the end of this century. So we are presented with formidable tasks indeed.

Against that background, there have been some memorable (and highly significant) points made at this Conference, starting from the opening speech given by Stanley Clinton Davis, the UK Commissioner for Transport at the EEC. Stanley Clinton Davis is, in fact, no stranger to the aviation business. He was Minister of State for Aviation - and one of the better Ministers - in an earlier British government. In opening the Conference, he made two statements which, I think, have not been said before - at least not in such precise or positive terms. They are highly significant to all of us.