With less than a week to go until Britain goes to polls to elect its new government, Aviation Services UK (ASUK), the trade body representing ground services firms, is pressing the incoming government that to boost the UK economy it must do more to increase passenger and cargo capacity at airports across the country. ASUK’s members handle around 75% of all UK flights.
Underlining that aviation has a key role to play in delivering growth by enhancing connectivity and thus the UK’s competitiveness, David Leighton, FRSA Chief Executive at ASUK said: “New infrastructure is urgently needed. Heathrow’s delayed expansion is directly holding back economic growth, as the loss of ad-hoc freighter slots demonstrates.
“Freight – whether moving by air, land or sea – is the lifeblood of our economy, but the arteries that carry that lifeblood have been clogging up for decades. This is most severe in aviation, where lack of capacity is biting hard.”
Leighton also urged for clarity on a 2040 Zero Emissions Airport target, adding that the shortage of charging infrastructure at airports must be addressed to accelerate investment in next-generational propulsion technologies, including electrified and hydrogen-powered ground services equipment. Government, he said, must ensure fees for infrastructure and power supply by airports are set on a fair and transparent basis.
“Against a backdrop of rising demand for air travel, lack of capacity will continue to present a significant challenge for any government that stresses the importance of growing the economy,” he said.
“As long as capacity constraints endure, a protected pool of slots available for carg0-only flights is essential.
“The system of allocating slots is in need of urgent reform, and there is a compelling case for enhanced regulatory oversight to guard the strategic national interest.”
In addition, limited capacity is making the UK’s supply chains more vulnerable to disruption, noted Leighton as he concluded:
“Achieving real economic growth demands a revival of bold ambition; let’s make being the world’s best-connected economy an explicit national policy objective.”
Image: Credit Menzies Aviation
