More than £20 million has been committed to developing sustainable aviation fuels and to put in place infrastructure for zero emission.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak pledged £21 million as part of the National Infrastructure Review which aims to decarbonise aviation by 2050.
It will be overseen by the Jet Zero Council, announced by transport secretary Grant Shapps earlier this year.
The National Infrastructure review, published alongside the Chancellor’s Spending Review, said: “The UK’s airspace is an essential, but invisible, part of its national transport infrastructure. The government is therefore committed to modernising UK airspace, which will deliver quicker, quieter and cleaner journeys and more capacity.”
The government said it will continue to co-sponsor the airspace modernisation programme with the Civil Aviation Authority. “This will ensure that carbon savings for aviation can be realised though proven technology this decade,” it added.
The Airport Operators’ Association welcomed the commitment. Chief executive Karen Dee said the investment “can help support the UK to become a global leader in this area, generating new jobs and economic growth, while reducing emissions from international aviation”.
She added: “Sustainable fuels are an essential part of aviation’s plans to cut aviation net carbon emissions to zero by 2050 alongside helping with air quality, as sustainable fuels have significantly lower particulate emissions.
“Airspace modernisation will also be a vital part of our sustainable future, as the National Infrastructure Strategy acknowledges. In particular, it is expected to reduce overall noise impacts for communities around airports. We will work further with Government on the funding for this vital project to ensure the current difficult financial climate for airports does not cause undue delays to its implementation.”