‘London capacity must support regional airports too’
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A body supporting regional airports in the UK has said any additional capacity at London should also support other facilities around the UK.
John Spooner, chairman of the Regional & Business Airports Group (RABA) told MPs on the Transport Select Committee that regional connections at the right time should be reserved if or when another runway is developed in London.
He stressed how regional airports support local economies by creating jobs and generating income, but are under pressure from significant costs that smaller airports cannot cope with. Blackpool Airport was the latest to close following increased pressures, but airports in Manston, Plymouth and Coventry have also closed in recent years.
As well as calling for more flexible policies Spooner also asked if excess land areas could be used for training or non-airport related purposes.
“It’s very encouraging to see that the Select Transport 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,” said Spooner.
“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,” he said.
RABA represents several airports in the UK including Durham Tees Valley, Southend, Newquay, Exeter, Glasgow Prestwick and Isle of Man.
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