Aviation environmental bodies have called on the government to review the case for UK aviation growth and reject plans to expand both Luton and Gatwork airports.
Groups including the Aviation Environment Federation (AEF), Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth and the New Economics Foundation (NEF) have written to transport secretary Heidi Alexander urging she reject the airports’ expansion plans.
The government had been poised to make a decision on expansion at Luton in January but that has been put back by three months. A determination on Gatwick bringing its emergency northern runway into regular use is due in February.
More: Luton airport expansion decision delayed for a third time
Heathrow confirms £2.3bn investment ‘to improve service’
The groups suggest the’ expansion plans “would not only undermine the UK’s climate goals but also negatively impact local residents with increased noise and air pollution”.
They raise three objections, suggesting that “any expansion in flight numbers is irresponsible”.
First, they note expansion “goes directly against the government’s own climate advisor’s guidance”, with the Climate Change Committee having “repeatedly reported that UK aviation has yet to show it is on track to decarbonise, and expansion should not be considered until a capacity management framework is in place”.
Second, they argue: “There is compelling new evidence that the economic benefits of airport expansion have been over blown.
“The New Economics Foundation’s analysis shows, in recent years, there has been a weak correlation between air traffic growth and GDP.”
Third, they note the rate at which Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) is being scaled “is concerningly slow” and they have “extremely low confidence” that these fuels will guarantee emissions reductions.
The groups urge the government to review the central planning guidance documents for aviation, taking account of the Climate Change Committee’s advice.
AEF policy manager Celeste Hicks said expanding Luton airport would “lead to a near 70% increase in flights [and] put our climate targets in jeopardy”.
The letter to Alexander notes: “In the next two months, you will be expected to make significant decisions on applications for Development Consent Orders (DCOs) to expand two major airports.
“We are deeply concerned that the significant increase in carbon emissions these expansions will generate will undermine the UK’s ability to meet its legal carbon budgets, environmental goals and Net Zero plans.
“It will also bring unacceptable levels of noise, air pollution and disruption for local communities.
“We believe it’s premature to take a decision on these two DCOs until the government’s overall airports planning framework has been reviewed and updated.
“Since Net Zero became law in 2019, the Climate Change Committee has repeatedly advised the government there should be no airport expansion unless the aviation sector is on track to reduce emissions.
“Given the slow adoption of alternative fuels and the disparity between current carbon pricing and the values relied upon to inform the government’s strategy, there is no evidence to show that condition has been met.”
The letter also urges “a fresh look at the claimed economic benefits of aviation”, arguing: “Compelling new evidence shows corporate air travel has declined in recent years, undermining the industry’s claim that expansion drives business productivity and trade.
It points out: “Most of the growth in air travel is from the outbound leisure market, which increases the UK’s current account deficit.
“The recent era of national economic stagnation was marked by extraordinarily rapid growth in air passenger numbers and decline in the overnight domestic tourism industry.”
In these circumstances, the letter argues: “Prevailing assumptions about airport expansion’s contribution to growth must urgently be scrutinised.”
It notes: “The UK’s Jet Zero strategy for aviation is built around assumptions that substantial increases in alternative fuels and carbon removals will scale significantly after 2030 [and] there are also assumptions that improvements in efficiency will occur at a rate far faster than has been historically recorded.
The letter concludes: “The Jet Zero Strategy greenlights a huge increase in passenger numbers and air miles, while relying on nascent technologies that are resource-intensive, expensive and untested.
“We fear this approach will lock in high levels of aviation emissions which are simply not compatible with the UK’s climate targets.”
More: Luton airport expansion decision delayed for a third time
Heathrow confirms £2.3bn investment ‘to improve service’