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Appeal for fairness in bid to cut aviation emissions
Airport owners’ leader Ed Anderson has today launched a bid to ensure that cutting aviation emissions is shared by airlines and airports around the world, and not just those in the UK.
The former Leeds-Bradford International Airport boss has hit out at politicians and green campaigners who want to cap air travel, which he says would inflate fares to a point where only rich people could afford to fly.
Mr Anderson, chairman of the Airport Owners’ Association, which represents 70 UK and international airports, has urged UK ministers and other world leaders to agree a global deal on aviation emissions at the Copenhagen environment summit next month.
This would mean that airports and airlines outside Europe would be brought into line with EU emissions trading rules due to come into force in 2012.
Mr Anderson said: “The EU regulations are OK as far as they go but we want to see a global trading emissions solution rather than one that would put UK and EU operators at a disadvantage with the rest of the world.
“We believe that this is a better alternative than the idea of enforcing a cap on how much people could fly as proposed by some campaign groups and politicians. This would result in only rich people being able to afford it.
“Aviation should be part of a low carbon future and a global sectoral approach is needed at Copenhagen. Aviation must grow sustainably, within environmental limits, and can be used to improve the performance of the wider economy by stimulating connectivity, trade and investment which in turn creates wealth and, jobs”.
A new report for the AOA by economists warns that UK-only measures to cut aviation emissions would deal a blow to passengers and the wider economy. It says if growth in flying were restricted to 1.5 per cent a year, a measure touted as a UK-only alternative to an international emissions cap, then average return air fares could rise by 40 per cent.
It also rejects increasing taxes as a way forward, pointing out that raising Air Passenger Duty by five per cent a year would see another £30 added to average return air fares by 2020, on top of APD rises just brought in by the Government and the further increases next November. The report says ‘draconian alternatives’ to an international deal would damage aviation’s ability to boost the economy, with the UK becoming up to £30 billion a year worse off by 2030.
Tony Hallwood, Leeds-Bradford’s commercial director, said: “The important role that aviation plays in providing jobs across the regions and driving inward investment is critical to the growth and strength of UK plc. Leeds-Bradford is proud of its role supporting and delivering increased air connectivity both domestically and internationally to benefit both business and inbound tourism across the Yorkshire region.”
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Airport owners’ leader Ed Anderson has today launched a bid to ensure that cutting aviation emissions is shared by airlines and airports around the world, and not just those in the UK.
The former Leeds-Bradford International Airport boss has hit out at politicians and green campaigners who want to cap air travel, which he says would inflate fares to a point where only rich people could afford to fly.
Mr Anderson, chairman of the Airport Owners’ Association, which represents 70 UK and international airports, has urged UK ministers and other world leaders to agree a global deal on aviation emissions at the Copenhagen environment summit next month.
This would mean that airports and airlines outside Europe would be brought into line with EU emissions trading rules due to come into force in 2012.
Mr Anderson said: “The EU regulations are OK as far as they go but we want to see a global trading emissions solution rather than one that would put UK and EU operators at a disadvantage with the rest of the world.
“We believe that this is a better alternative than the idea of enforcing a cap on how much people could fly as proposed by some campaign groups and politicians. This would result in only rich people being able to afford it.
“Aviation should be part of a low carbon future and a global sectoral approach is needed at Copenhagen. Aviation must grow sustainably, within environmental limits, and can be used to improve the performance of the wider economy by stimulating connectivity, trade and investment which in turn creates wealth and, jobs”.
A new report for the AOA by economists warns that UK-only measures to cut aviation emissions would deal a blow to passengers and the wider economy. It says if growth in flying were restricted to 1.5 per cent a year, a measure touted as a UK-only alternative to an international emissions cap, then average return air fares could rise by 40 per cent.
It also rejects increasing taxes as a way forward, pointing out that raising Air Passenger Duty by five per cent a year would see another £30 added to average return air fares by 2020, on top of APD rises just brought in by the Government and the further increases next November. The report says ‘draconian alternatives’ to an international deal would damage aviation’s ability to boost the economy, with the UK becoming up to £30 billion a year worse off by 2030.
Tony Hallwood, Leeds-Bradford’s commercial director, said: “The important role that aviation plays in providing jobs across the regions and driving inward investment is critical to the growth and strength of UK plc. Leeds-Bradford is proud of its role supporting and delivering increased air connectivity both domestically and internationally to benefit both business and inbound tourism across the Yorkshire region.”
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