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It is essential that any new runway to be developed in the London area should serve the UK’s regions, the House of Commons Transport Select Committee has heard.
Take-off and landing slots must be reserved at the right times and at an affordable price for use by flights serving the regions, the Regional & Business Airports Group told MPs.
The committee also discussed how the costs of Air Passenger Duty and complying with UK regulatory requirements were particularly damaging to UK regional aviation.
The committee was hearing evidence from the aviation industry on the importance of regional aviation and how it supports transport infrastructure and the development of regional economies.
RABA chairman John Spooner, giving evidence to the committee, highlighted the role regional airports play in local economies, including supporting key aviation activities and creating jobs.
But fiscal and regulatory regimes add significant costs which small airports do not have the economies of scale to absorb. Small regional airports such as Plymouth, Blackpool and Manston have shut during the economic recession.
Spooner also called for a more flexible and supportive policy framework around planning.
The committee was asked to help secure access from the regions to London airports, and allow excess areas of land within regional airport sites not needed for airport purposes in the future to be developed for non-aeronautical employment purposes.
Spooner said: ‘It’s very encouraging to see that the committee has recognised the vital importance of regional airports to bringing economic prosperity and social benefit to the regions of the UK.
“The questions they asked showed that they understood the challenges that regional aviation and smaller airports face every day and gave the impression that they want to help.
“It was particularly encouraging that the select committee appeared to recognise the multitude of social and economic roles performed by the UK’s smaller regional airports not just in connecting the regions to the capital and to themselves but also enabling ambulance and transplant flights, helicopter search and rescue and oil and gas field support services, aircrew, flight and engineering training, aircraft maintenance and a whole host of other activities.
“These activities provide valuable skilled and unskilled employment opportunities often completely unconnected with aviation which make use of the perfectly located sites of many of our airports and airfields.”
Members of RABA include Durham Tees Valley, Southend, Newquay, Gloucestershire, Exeter, City of Derry, Prestwick, Coventry, Norwich, Carlisle, Isle of Man, Guernsey, Lands End, Lydd London-Ashford and Doncaster-Sheffield.