One of Yorkshire’s most effective weapons in the struggle to pull itself out of the recession has been reinstated, thanks to airline Flybe.

There was despair – not just in the business community – when bmi announced it was grounding its flights from Yorkshire to Heathrow earlier this year.

Now that Flybe has picked up the gauntlet and introduced a service from Leeds Bradford International Airport to Gatwick, the business community in Yorkshire has a new link that will help it to trade in the capital.

The three-flights-a-day service is the only service from Yorkshire and the Humber to London.

Gatwick may not be the ideal destination for anyone bound for London, but it would be churlish to argue that the service should be an exact replacement for the old flights to Heathrow.

The flights to the capital will also present businessmen and traders with the option to fly onwards to Europe and beyond.

As well as the clear business benefits, there will be spin-offs for the Yorkshire tourism industry. The planes won’t just be carrying business people south – they will be bringing visitors north, too.

It is a relief that a silver lining has been found in the cloud that descended when news of bmi’s pull-out was revealed. We have every reason to think that the business and tourism industries will make the most of the opportunities the new service presents.