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Government must recognise benefits of regional airports, say Tees Valley

The owners of Tees Valley Airport have called on the government to recognise the benefits regional airports bring to the communities they serve, and to develop policies which will encourage growth.

Peel Airports submitted their statement in response to the Department of Transport’s proposal for a Sustainable Framework for UK aviation, which was launched to consider the future of aviation policy.

The Government has promised to “explore how to create the right conditions for regional airports to flourish,” but Peel Airports has expressed concern over the current proposals.

They feel that they fail to set out a clear strategy for the industry’s contribution to both regional and national economies, and are concerned that growth could be constrained if the government suppresses air travel.

Craig Richmond, Peel Airports CEO commented: “We welcome the Government’s review on future aviation policy, however we have one chance to get this right, otherwise regional airports and the regions they serve will have their economies damaged for the long term.”

Air Passenger Duty is also a concern, and proposed increases could seriously damage local airports, as international airline businesses could choose to take their business elsewhere.

Mr Richmond continued: “The Government have stated on numerous occasions in the past that it recognises the importance of aviation for economic growth and rebalancing of the UK economy.

“Sadly these latest proposals contradict the desire for aviation related growth and we are calling upon the Government to implement a long-sighted aviation policy that appreciates the benefits to regional economies that aviation connections bring and supports growth in our industry whilst maintaining the balanced approach towards minimizing the environmental impact.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .