Government aviation ‘scoping document’ released
31.03.11
The Government has released a 'scoping document' on its planned aviation policies, urging airlines to become ‘greener’ and saying it supports aviation growth, but not ‘at any price’. Transport Secretary Philip Hammond said aviation industry needed to do more, not just on emissions but also on noise.
The Government has already ruled out a third runway at Heathrow and is opposed to additional runways at Gatwick and Stansted airports, at least during the current parliament. Launching a ‘scoping document’ designed to seek views on a new aviation policy, Mr Hammond said: ‘We are not anti-aviation - we are anti-carbon.’ He said aviation should be able to grow, but to do so, it had to ‘play its part in delivering our environmental goals and protecting the quality of life of local communities’.
‘We are firmly focused on the benefits aviation can bring, particularly in terms of economic growth. But we are not prepared to support growth at any price. The aviation industry needs to do more, not just on emissions but also in terms of its other environmental impacts, particularly noise. The current pace of technological change is not fast enough to reconcile growth on the scale of recent years with meeting our climate change targets or, in relation to some airports, our aspirations on local environmental impacts.’
The new policy framework will replace the Labour Government's 2003 aviation White Paper, which supported runway expansion at Stansted and later Heathrow. Mr Hammond said the White Paper was ‘fundamentally out of date because it fails to give sufficient weight to the challenge of climate change’. The document asks the aviation industry to answer questions about its future and views can be given until the end of September. A draft aviation policy framework will be published for consultation in March 2012, with a view to formal adoption by March 2013.
The Government is also seeking views on the concept of setting a ‘noise envelope’ for airports. This would aim to limit the total noise impact from airport operations, defining the ‘envelope’ within which growth would be possible as technology and operations reduce noise impacts per plane.
Mr Hammond added: ‘Clearly we won't agree on everything, but by working closely with key stakeholders at this early stage we can provide a policy framework for aviation which strikes a balance between different interests.'
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