aviation, airports, air travel
Smaller airports inquiry launched
10 July 2014
Transport Committee announces inquiry on role of smaller airports, and the steps the Government and EU are taking to support them.
As well as general issues affecting smaller airports (those with fewer than 5 million passengers per annum), the Committee is particularly interested in receiving evidence on:
- the strategic importance of smaller airports and the extent to which smaller airports meet the needs of regional economies and provide efficient and effective services for the local communities in which they sit, and their impact on regional economic development and regeneration
- the steps the Government is taking or could take to support smaller airports and aid diversification to ensure their longer-term viability
- the effect of current local, regional, national and EU policy and regulations on the future of smaller airports, including policy on air passenger duty, route subsidies (e.g. use of public service obligations to maintain particular routes and other state aid, the Regional Air Connectivity Fund, etc.) and housing and enterprise zones
- issues around competitiveness, rationalisation and commercial viability affecting smaller airports, including the importance of smaller airports in serving niche leisure and business markets and flight training and education ('general aviation') and providing dedicated capacity for cargo services, and the role that partners and airlines play in the delivery of such services
- the role of local authorities and Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) in ensuring smaller airports improve connectivity.
We would be grateful to receive written submissions by Friday 3 October 2014.
Send written submissions using the form available on the inquiry page.