Over many years Oxford Airport has received regular enquiries about an air link between Oxford and Cambridge and now such a service is likely to be established later this year, specifically targeted at the business and academic communities.  The start date will be announced on this page shortly.

Travel times will be reduced to a mere 20 minutes, rather than the three or more hours on a bus, or three and a half hours it can take on the train today.  An optional chauffeured bus service will, if required, meet planes on arrival should passengers wish to be taken straight from the aircraft door to the centre of either Oxford or Cambridge.

The area between Oxford and Cambridge has been so successful in terms of growth that it now has every reason to describe itself as the European hi-tech capital for knowledge-based industries. The Oxford2Cambridge Arc has been set up to promote the extraordinary and unique set of educational, research, business, commercial and governmental resources that exist in the area around and between Oxford and Cambridge.  The new service will join these two cities together for the first time in 60 years as the most time-efficient means of transport available.

The Oxford2Cambridge Arc

Day return trips will become much more commonplace eliminating the need for expensive overnight hotel stays. What today entailed the waste of more than half a day in transit could now become a local commute to the office.

Further details on the service are available at www.oxbridge.aero, whilst Oxford Airport’s website will host news and updates on the service from time to time.

It is important to highlight the fact that groups of four or more individuals can already privately charter an aircraft right now for a day return trip at costs from a little over £100 per person.  You can dictate exactly when you wish to travel of course, choosing the schedule that best suits your specific needs.  For further details contact the airport on +44 (0)1865 290 710 or e-mail info@oxfordairport.co.uk.

The following highlights some of the realities of travel between the two cities today and explores some of the background behind the proposed service:

The reality – day return travel time:

• 130 miles by rail:

6 to 7 hours with two changes in London

• 112 miles by road:

5 to 6 hours by public bus

3.5 to 6 hours by private car or taxi (via M25)

• 68 miles by air:

46 minutes total flying time (chocks to chocks) + 10 minute check-in

If you waste up to 5-6 hours to perhaps attend a one hour meeting, how do you value that time?

• As a proportion of your daily salary?
• As a proportion of the business revenue one is trying to chase / generate?
• As a proportion of a project’s allocated budget?
• As with key personnel insurance policies – typically 5.75 times salary?

Any which way – it’s usually much more than the seat cost when flying

www.cambridge.gov.uk

• Achieve a whole working day’s activity at destination and still get home for supper
• Avoid need for an overnight hotel stop and associated food, drinks costs
• Arrive at destination unstressed and ready to be productive
• Free parking at Oxford or Cambridge airports
• Minimum check-in times, as little as 10 minutes
• Enjoy a chauffeured minibus service into town immediately on arrival
• Private charters today can be arranged with as little as 1 hour’s notice for groups of individuals - at any time of the day
• On offer is a true ‘air-taxi’ service
• More aircraft can be laid on at short notice should demand dictate
• Easy web-based interface and ticketless transaction

Other proposed surface transport improvements:

• The proposed ‘Varsity’ rail line could take some years to be established – perhaps well over a decade, at a cost of several hundred million pounds
• The proposed A43/A45 improvements may also take some years to be implemented. Even then travel times via road will still be several times longer than by air
• The A14 and A34 (5th most congested trunk road in the UK) continue to be ever more congested with no sign of imminent improvements

Ongoing road congestion:

• 4.5 billion miles are traveled annually by motorists on the roads of Oxfordshire, currently growing by over 50 million miles a year
• Already up by 7.7% from DfT 1997 figures of 4.2 billion
• The forecast for next 10-15 years is significantly more than 7.7%
• A34, A40 and A44 are all trouble spots – susceptible to major hold-ups if accidents occur
• Proposals have been made to charge tolls on A34 - but not to widen it in spite of there being no hard-shoulder (prone to accident hold-ups)
• The head of sustainable development at Oxfordshire County Council warns of ‘greater problems’ for future if there are no plans to widen A34 in spite of plans to build thousands of extra homes in the region

Oxford County Council are key UK proponents of ‘Park & Ride’ – we are doing ‘Park & Fly’

Environmental issues:

Eight passengers driving independently would use well over 50% more fuel than that consumed flying.

The emissions produced by two 350 horsepower engines (700 HP) on the aircraft over 25 minutes at altitude is considerably less than seven typical 100+ horsepower engines (a conservative assumption but again 700 HP) over 150 minutes at ground level - i.e. the same amount of horsepower being used but over six times the duration.

There isn’t the congestion in the skies as there is on the motorways and therefore the incidences of added vehicle emissions whilst sitting in traffic is not an issue.

The costs – normal ‘business’ trip (2005 prices):

Visit Cambridge

Daily Telegraph: Don Air flights to speed travel between Oxford and Cambridge…..called the "misery route", but now Oxford and Cambridge dons who travel between the two university cities have been offered a way to avoid traffic jams and late trains: take an aircraft.’

A senior Oxford don who travels regularly to Cambridge said: "I would certainly take the plane. It's a bit more expensive than the train (return fare) but would save time and a lot of stress caused by our terrible transport system."

The head of communications and publishing at the Bodleian, said " it would be nice to get to Cambridge so quickly and it would become even more attractive if sufficient numbers use the service and fares drop further".

Executive Director of Isis Innovation which helps academics exploit their ideas commercially said “It would be great to cut the journey to 20 minutes. It could stimulate more innovation and enterprise between the two universities and business communities”

What would you prefer?

• 0-60 mph on UK’s wonderful road network

or…..

• 200+ mph in the air with no congestion whatsoever