The Future of Air Transport December 2003 Department for Transport The Future of Air Transport Presented to Parliament by the Secretary of State for Transport by command of Her Majesty December 2003 Cm 6046 £25.00 Future of Air Transport Enquiry Line 0845 100 5554. This line will be open until 31 March 2004. This document is also downloadable from the web site at www.dft.gov.uk/aviation/whitepaper This White Paper refers to aviation policy across the UK. In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, land-use planning, surface access and a number of other matters associated with airport development are the responsibility of the devolved administrations. The Department for Transport has actively considered the needs of the partially sighted in accessing this document. The text will be made available in full on the web site in accordance with the W3C’s Web Accessibility Initiative’s criteria. 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December 2003 Contents Foreword 7 Executive Summary 9 Chapter 1 – Purpose 17 Chapter 2 – The strategic framework 21 The growth in air travel 21 Future demand 23 Limitations on growth 24 A balanced strategy 26 Chapter 3 – Environmental impacts 29 Objectives 29 Noise 32 Noise mitigation and compensation 35 Local air quality 37 Other local impacts 38 Climate change 39 Chapter 4 – The air transport sector 43 An international industry 43 Safety 44 Aviation security 45 Service quality 47 Aviation and tourism 49 Airports and regional economies 49 Air freight 51 Growing regional airports 52 Regional air services to London 55 Long-distance rail alternatives 58 Access to and from airports 60 3 THE FUTURE OF AIR TRANSPORT Chapter 5 – Scotland 63 Key issues 63 Main conclusions 63 Edinburgh Airport 64 Glasgow International Airport 67 Glasgow Prestwick International Airport 70 Aberdeen Airport 70 Dundee Airport 71 Highlands and Islands 71 Chapter 6 – Wales 75 Key issues 75 Main conclusions 75 Cardiff International Airport 76 Other proposals 77 Chapter 7 – Northern Ireland 79 Key issues 79 Main conclusions 79 Belfast City Airport 80 Belfast International Airport 80 City of Derry Airport 81 Surface access 81 Chapter 8 – The North of England 83 Key issues 83 Main conclusions 83 Manchester Airport 84 Liverpool John Lennon Airport 86 Blackpool Airport 87 Carlisle Airport 87 Newcastle Airport 87 Teesside International Airport 88 Leeds Bradford International Airport 88 Humberside International Airport 89 Doncaster – Finningley Airport 89 Sheffield City Airport 89 4 Contents Chapter 9 – The Midlands 91 Key issues 91 Main conclusions 91 New airport option 92 Birmingham International Airport 93 East Midlands Airport 97 Other Midlands airports 99 Chapter 10 – The South West 101 Key issues 101 Main conclusions 102 Bristol International Airport 102 New airport – north of Bristol 103 Bournemouth International Airport 104 Exeter International Airport 104 Plymouth 105 Newquay Airport 105 Other South West airports 105 Other issues 106 Chapter 11 – The South East 109 Key issues 109 Main conclusions 110 A South East hub airport 112 Cliffe 112 Stansted Airport 113 Heathrow Airport 119 Gatwick Airport 124 London Luton Airport 127 Smaller South East airports 131 Alconbury 133 Alternative proposals 133 5 THE FUTURE OF AIR TRANSPORT Chapter 12 – Next steps 139 Securing statutory approval 139 Land protection 140 Airport master plans 141 Green Belt 141 Blight 142 Delivering surface access improvements 143 Managing airspace 145 Monitoring and evaluation 146 Programme of action 146 Annexes A – UK air travel forecasts 149 B – Emissions trading 155 C – Glossary 158 D – Bibliography 160 E – Integrated Policy Appraisal 161 A Regulatory Impact Assessment has also been undertaken by DfT; this is available on the DfT website at www.dft.gov.uk/aviation/whitepaper 6 Foreword Air travel is essential to the United Kingdom’s economy and to our continued prosperity. In the last 30 years there has been a five-fold increase in air travel. And it has opened up opportunities that for many simply did not exist before; half the population flies at least once a year, and many fly far more often than that. The challenge we face is to deal with the pressures caused by the increasing need to travel whilst at the same time meeting our commitment to protect the environment in which we live. Our economy depends on air travel. Many businesses, in both manufacturing and service industries, rely on air travel; and it is particularly important for many of the fastest growing sectors of the economy. Visitors by air are crucial to UK tourism. Airfreight has doubled in the last 10 years; one third by value of all goods we export go by air. And 200,000 people are employed in the aviation industry, with three times as many jobs supported by it indirectly. All this puts pressures on airports, some of which are at, or fast approaching, capacity. And environmental problems cause genuine concern for their impact on people near airports, as well as for the global environment. We need to plan ahead so we can continue to benefit from the economic and social advantages of air travel, but also to deal with the impacts of increasing air transport for the environment. This White Paper sets out a measured and balanced approach providing a strategic framework for the development of air travel over the next 30 years. The Government consulted on a range of options covering the whole of the UK. And, illustrating the importance of the issues, half a million people gave their views. Our starting point is that we must make best use of existing airport capacity. We have concluded against proposals to build new airports at a number of locations. In every case we considered the consequences would be severe and better options are available. We want to encourage growth at regional airports, and we have concluded that increased capacity is needed at a number of airports across the country, including some new runway capacity, more terminal capacity and support facilities. 7 THE FUTURE OF AIR TRANSPORT In the South East, there are particular environmental concerns about expansion at the main London airports, but balanced against this there is the importance of these airports to the South East and to the UK’s prosperity. Failure to provide some additional capacity could have substantial repercussions in the country as a whole, as well as for us individually. Taking a measured and balanced view of all these concerns, we have concluded that provision should be made for two additional runways in the South East over the next three decades. With these conclusions we have set stringent environmental conditions which developers will need to meet to take proposals forward. And the White Paper includes other proposals to limit and mitigate the impact air transport has on the environment, including its impact on global warming. Here we set out a framework for the future development of air transport over the next 30 years. It is essential we plan ahead now – our future prosperity depends on it. Rt Hon Alistair Darling MP Secretary of State for Transport December 2003 8 Executive Summary This White Paper sets out a strategic framework for the development of airport capacity in the United Kingdom over the next 30 years, against the background of wider developments in air transport. It does not itself authorise or preclude any particular development, but sets out a policy framework against which the relevant public bodies, airport operators and airlines can plan ahead, and which will guide decisions on future planning applications. It sets out the conclusions of the Government, and of the devolved administrations where appropriate, on the case for future expansion at airports across the country. In doing so it takes account of views expressed in an extensive consultation exercise, in the course of which around 500,000 responses were received. The Government recognises the benefits that the expansion in air travel has brought to people’s lives and to the economy of this country. Its increased affordability has opened up the possibilities of foreign travel for many people, and it provides the rapid access that is vital to many modern businesses. But we have to balance those benefits against the environmental impacts of air travel, in particular the growing contribution of aircraft emissions to climate change and the significant impact that airports can have on those living nearby. Air travel has increased five-fold over the past 30 years, and demand is projected to be between two and three times current levels by 2030. Some of our major airports are already close to capacity, so failure to allow for increased capacity could have serious economic consequences, both at national and at regional level. That must be balanced by the need to have regard to the environmental consequences of air travel.