ABTA pushes for no aviation policy delay
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ABTA has urged the government not to delay addressing airport capacity as part of its formal response to the Draft Aviation Policy Framework.
The association has written to the Department for Transport (DfT) outlining the need for an aviation policy with support from across the parties; a short-term strategy to improve the use of runways and to recognise the value of leisure travel. It has also posed questions over taxes and noise pollution but agreed with the government that the industries need to work together.
“While there are some welcome commitments in the consultation document, our primary concern is that it does not address the urgent need for additional capacity,” said Mark Tanzer, CEO of ABTA.
“Flying is critical for our members and a strong and sustainable aviation strategy is essential for the provision of quality, efficient and competitively priced air travel. While we welcome the independent commission headed by Sir Howard Davies that will look into airport capacity, we are concerned that the delay in addressing the capacity issue will lead to a policy vacuum, which will make business investment decisions challenging and limit growth,” he added.