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Reacting to statistics published by the Department for Transport on attitudes to air travel and the environment, showing that the proportion of people willing to pay extra fell from 69% in 2006 to 60% in 2010 among those who do believe that air travel harms the environment and from 50% to 40% among those who have flown in the last 12 months, Brian Wilson, Chairman of FlyingMatters said: "Just as the public's appetite for paying more for flying is waning, the Government plan to push ahead with eye-watering rises in the tax on flying so that from November a family of four will pay up to £340 in tax alone. This will push flying out of the reach of many ordinary families who only fly occasionally."

Read the full release Posted by David Lewy

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FlyingMatters reaction to public attitudes to air travel and the environment survey  29 July 2010

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Brian Wilson: Farnborough is 'crucial reminder of importance of aerospace industry'  20 July 2010

The Farnborough Airshow is a crucial reminder of how important the aerospace industry is to the UK economy, said Brian Wilson, chairman of the pro-aviation pressure group, FlyingMatters.

Read the full release Posted by David Lewy
Hidden hikes in flight tax will “strangle inward investment” - FlyingMatters  22 June 2010

Immediate Release - 22 June 2010 Hidden hikes in flight tax will “strangle inward investment” - FlyingMatters Reacting to the Chancellor’s decision to press a...

Read the full release Posted by David Lewy
Brian Wilson: Increasing taxes on flying would be "crazy"  18 May 2010

The new Government has been warned that it would be "crazy" to further increase the taxes on flying at a time when the industry is reeling from a series of body-blows - including the volcanic ash crisis. Brian Wilson, the former Energy Minister who chairs the pressure group Flying Matters, said: "There is talk of the Tory-LibDem coalition doubling taxation on aviation because it is one of the easier things for them to agree on. They must be told that this is not a victimless offence but an absolutely crazy assault on one of Britain's most important industrial sectors, both for manufacturing and services."

Read the full release Posted by David Lewy
FlyingMatters comments on Government response to Transport Select Committee report on the future of aviation  2 March 2010

FlyingMatters has welcomed the Government response to the Transport Committee's report on the future of aviation.

Read the full release Posted by David Lewy
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BA wants to soar on banana skins

British Airways is investing in a factory that will convert tonnes of household rubbish into enough jet fuel for all its flights from London City airport twice over. The Sunday Times reported this weekend that the partnership with Solena will lead to significant cuts in greenhouse gas emissions from aircraft. The aviation industry has set out how biofuels will play a role in reducing emissions to 2000 levels in 2050.

Read article July 19 2010

Comment Latest reaction

The roll-out of sustainable biofuels for aviation is moving from science-fiction to science reality as more airlines carry out test-flights and invest in development. It’s crucial that we use the world’s resources as responsibly as possible and at the same time explore all the technological possibilities in terms of alternative fuels.

That’s why FlyingMatters welcomes British Airways’ investment in a facility to reuse waste biomass and convert it into jet fuel. Other FM members including Airbus, Virgin, Boeing and Rolls-Royce have already conducted trials of different types of alternative fuels and the trials have proved that biofuels work, now the challenge is to make them practical on an industrial scale.

The aviation industry agrees that for biofuels to represent a real alternative they must be safe, not compete with food stocks, not contribute to deforestation and they must be commercially scalable.

Read the full article

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FlyingMatters represents a broad coalition of all those interested in supporting sustainable growth in aviation including businesses, trade unions, tourism bodies as well as the aviation industry.

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FlyingMatters seeks to contribute to a balanced and informed debate on aviation's contribution to climate change and to ensure proper account is taken within this debate of its economic and social benefits.