Northern tech firms praise arrival of first-ever Manchester-San Francisco flight

Virgin Atlantic to launch direct flight next summer, claiming it will put Manchester on the map

Northern tech businesses have hailed Virgin Atlantic's plans to run the first-ever direct flight from Manchester to San Francisco, claiming it will help the northern city stand out internationally.

Virgin Atlantic announced yesterday that from next summer, it will run a direct service from Manchester to San Francisco, with flights running three times a week. The airline will also operate a direct route from Manchester to Boston twice weekly from next year.

San Francisco and the surrounding Silicon Valley area is home to a huge number of technology companies such as Apple, Google and HP. Manchester Airport's managing director Ken O'Toole said the new flights will deliver "a real boost for the north's economy", especially for technology companies based in the area.

Scott Fletcher, chairman of Manchester-based ANS Group, agreed and branded it "brilliant news".

"[Manchester] needs it strategically – Gatwick and Heathrow is an extra step," he said. "Even going from Terminal 5 to Terminal 3 [at Heathrow] is a complete nightmare and it takes the fun out of it all."

He added that apart from improving the travel prospects for northern businesspeople, it will make it easier for them to welcome their US business associates.

"It's not just about us going out there – if you've got big venture capital companies coming over here, they look at their flights and see it is going to be 24 hours before they get to Manchester," he said.

"The chances of having a successful meeting are shot before it even happens. Getting it down to 11 hours is great because it is a two-day trip – you can come over here, have a meeting, and be back for tea a day later."

Manchester-based UKFast's chief executive Lawrence Jones said he will certainly be booking a flight on the service next summer.

"There is nothing more frustrating as a travelling businessman than having to hop around and travel to London first," he said. "There is too much traffic in London already and the thought of having another runway there is absurd."

Jones added that the new service could even make it easier for his company to broaden its horizons.

"I am less bothered about being on the Silicon Valley radar and am more concerned about having access to incredible talent and ideas and to buy businesses over there and expand into America," he said. "Putting Manchester on the Silicon Valley map is obviously going to raise the profile of the city as an added bonus."

Northern powerhouse

Improving transport links in the local area can be a catalyst for economic growth, according to the government's Transport Investment and Economic Performance report from 2014, which stated: "better transport generally makes a place more attractive for investment."

Hugh Campbell, managing partner of GP Bullhound, a Manchester-based technology investment bank, said the new flight service is significant for this reason.

"This is a recognition of the international potential of northern tech," he said. "With greater access to the funding, insight, and talent available in the Bay Area, the growth of the north's digital economy will surely continue to accelerate. It has been a long time coming, but this could be a watershed moment for the region's tech entrepreneurs."

In recent years, the government has been pushing its Northern Powerhouse initiative, which aims to champion northern business and boost investment in the area. London-based digital tech champions TechCity also launched a dedicated TechNorth branch in recognition of the area.

Daisy, which is based in Nelson, Lancashire, said although it is hard to pinpoint the direct benefits of having improved transport links, the new flight will be "hugely symbolic" and could have an effect on the wider northern region.

Another firm which expects to enjoy the new flight is San Jose-based hosted VoIP firm 8x8, which last year opened a UK base in Manchester last year.

"It's an exciting time for businesses in the North West and this new flight route proves it," said Kevin Scott-Cowell, UK managing director at 8x8. "Billions of pounds have already been invested in Manchester to create a global hub for digital companies to rival London's Tech City; and it's still growing at a phenomenal rate.

"We're very proud to be playing a part in this growth and support the digital economy not just in Manchester, but the rest of the north west."