Air transport at Westminster

Gavin Shuker, Labour MP for Luton South, hosted this year’s annual aviation reception at the House of Commons. Supporting the event were ABTA, Airlines UK, AOA, BAR-UK, IATA and Sustainable Aviation (see in this week’s issue).

Aviation minister Baroness Sugg, the guest of honour, said Parliament had given a massive vote of confidence on the expansion of Heathrow, adding: “It is not going to cost a penny as it is being privately financed and would bring growth across the country and benefits to the tune of up to £74bn to passengers and the wider economy”. 

Airlines UK chair Jane Middleton was forthright. “While Airlines UK has been vocal in our support for a new runway, we have also been clear that, ultimately, this backing remains conditional upon a scheme that delivers what it said on the tin," she said.

"The expansion of our only global hub airport is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform our domestic and international connectivity, and we are delighted that MPs have now given the green light to take the project to the next stage.

"We thank you, minister, and the secretary of state, for displaying the political leadership needed to make this a priority and successfully shepherding it through Parliament. Given the many previous abortive attempts to secure political support for additional airport capacity in the South East, we all know this was no easy task!"

https://abta.com  http://airlinesuk.org

www.aoa.org.uk  www.bar-uk.org

www.iata.org  www.sustainableaviation.co.uk

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