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The Government today committed to implementing the findings of the 2015 Sir Howard Davies Independent Commission into “maintaining the UK’s status as an international hub for aviation”.

At today’s Airport Operators Association Annual Conference and Exhibition, Aviation Minister, the Rt Hon Simon Burns MP, said that, “Yes”, the Government would back and implement the Commission’s findings, when they are released in 2015. In response, the aviation sector has united in calling on the Government’s Lib Dem partners and the Labour Opposition, to ask whether they too could give such a clear commitment.

Darren Caplan, Chief Executive of the Airport Operators Association (AOA), representing airports, said: “The Airport Operators Association welcomes the Aviation Minister’s unambiguous commitment to acting on the findings of the Airports Commission, once it has considered all the options. We have been seeking such a commitment since the Commission was set up, to ensure that its work was meaningful and would not be a waste of time or taxpayers’ money. We now respectfully ask whether the Labour and Lib Dem transport teams will follow suit, and commit themselves to acing on the findings of the Commission?”

Simon Buck, Chief Executive of the British Air Transport Association (BATA), representing major UK airlines, said: “It is time we had an end to the constant see-saw of policies on aviation expansion from successive governments. It is to be hoped that the Davies Commission will result in cross-party agreement on much-needed action, to ensure the UK’s future connectivity, prosperity and jobs”.

Mike Carrivick, Chief Executive of Board of Airline Representatives in the UK (BAR-UK), representing overseas airlines, said: “The Commission’s findings is the opportunity for the cross-party consensus that has been missing to date. We urge the Lib Dems and Labour to grasp it. Aviation is an essential part of the UK’s economic recovery, and the country must not be let down again.”

ENDS

For further information please contact Luke Law via lukelaw@aoa.org.uk or 07827 931 480

Notes to Editors:

The AOA Annual Conference & Exhibition is taking place on Monday 22 and Tuesday 23 October at the Hilton Metropole, London. The full programme is available at  http://www.aoa.org.uk/aoa-conference-2012.htm .

The Airport Operators Association (AOA) is the trade association that represents UK airports. Its mission is to see UK airports grow sustainably. It represents the views of UK airports to Government, Parliament and Regulators to secure policy outcomes that help deliver our mission. The AOA represents some 70 UK airports and general aviation airfields in the UK. For more information, please visit www.aoa.org.uk .

BATA is the trade body for UK-registered airlines, with members representing all sectors of the industry. In 2011, BATA members employed 73,000 people, operated four-fifths of the UK commercial aircraft fleet and were responsible for some 96% of UK airline output, carrying 129 million passengers and 1.1 million tonnes of cargo. The ten BATA member airlines are: British Airways, DHL, easyJet, flybe, Jet2 Monarch, Thomas Cook, Thomson Airways, Titan Airways and Virgin Atlantic.

BAR UK represents over 80 scheduled airlines in the UK in their dealings with Government, Government Departments, Regulators and Airport Operators.