Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on opening Carlisle airport to domestic flights as part of the proposed Borderlands Growth Deal.

No such discussions have taken place. UK airlines and airports operate in a competitive, commercial environment, and it is for individual airlines to decide what air services they operate based on their assessment of commercial and market conditions. Stobart Air was offered support under the Regional Air Connectivity Fund to set up new routes from Carlisle Airport in 2016. As yet these new routes are not in operation. Any decision to start operation of these routes would be for the airline to decide.