Press Releases Official press releases from FlyingMatters

Commenting on the Transport Select Committee’s report on The Future of Aviation, Brian Wilson, Chairman of FlyingMatters said:

“The Committee has clearly taken a cool-headed and balanced look at the evidence and reached the conclusion – like the vast majority of the flying public – that aviation has a vital economic and social role to play in the UK and internationally.“

“The Committee are right to say that global solutions represent the only realistic approach to dealing with the environmental impact of a mainly international activity.  It is crucial that Copenhagen is the start of a process for achieving an international approach.   Any approach must incentivise not threaten the technological improvements which cut emissions, many of which are already being rolled out or are in development.

“If we do not allow aviation in the UK to grow sensibly and sustainably we will face economic pain for no environmental gain as people simply opt to fly from Europe or elsewhere instead of the UK.“The Committee are right to say that the environmental costs of aviation will be covered by the European Emissions Trading Scheme but it is wrong to ignore the impact of domestic flight taxes on ordinary families.   The government’s own figures show that over a million people will be priced out of flying as a result of the APD tax hikes.  That burden will largely fall on ordinary families who only fly occasionally while the well off will continue to fly as much as they ever did.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

1. The Transport Committee’s report into “The Future of Aviation” will be published on Monday 7th December 2009 at 00.01am

2. FlyingMatters is the national campaign for flying, a broad coalition of trade unions, business, tourism groups, farmers in the developing world, as well as the aviation industry, which supports sustainable growth in air transport.

A list of members can be found here: http://www.flyingmatters.org.uk/wp-content/themes/FlyingMatters/MembersListNov2009.pdf

3. Brian Wilson is the Chairman of FlyingMatters and stood down at the last election after 18 years in Parliament. Between 1997-2005, he held five Ministerial posts, including Minister for Trade and Minister for Energy.