Peel Airports urge Government to urgently rethink UK Aviation Policy

Peel Airports, the owners of Liverpool John Lennon Airport and Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield, have submitted their response to the Government’s consultation on its Draft Aviation Policy Framework.

In a detailed response, Peel Airports have highlighted the need for a coherent national aviation policy which places the industry and regional airports at the heart of the economic drive for recovery and rebalancing of the national economy.

Current Government policies mean that the UK aviation industry is stagnating. Peel Airports believe that the Draft Aviation Policy Framework is a missed opportunity. It fails to address a number of core issues such as growth, a vision for connectivity and the economy, airport capacity, the importance of regional airports, aviation taxation and regulatory costs.

Peel Airports advocates an aviation strategy which addresses the barriers to regional competitiveness and supports increased regional and international connectivity.

The Company’s response also highlights the damage to the industry and regional economies caused by policies which include Air Passenger Duty (APD) and the support given to other transport modes at the expense of aviation.
Craig Richmond CEO of Peel Airports Limited commented, "Airports such as ours have the opportunity to get the UK regional and national economy back on track, however we need Government policy to work with us, not against us. In its current form this Draft Policy Framework will do nothing to improve the current situation.

There must be no further delays – Peel Airports joins with others in the industry and calls for an independent study of the economic impact of APD on the industry and the economy, as suggested during last Thursday’s Parliamentary debate on the subject. We also need to see a joined-up approach by the Treasury, the Department for Transport and the industry on resolving the APD issue in the interest of regional economies and UK plc."