Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the costs and benefits to (a) the public purse and (b) passengers of the expansion of regional airports.

The revised draft Airports National Policy Statement on new runway capacity and infrastructure at airports in the South-East of England considers impacts of Heathrow expansion on airports across the UK. It finds that a North-West runway at Heathrow delivers the best connectivity for the UK as a whole, with regional airports expected to continue displaying strong passenger growth by 2050.

The UK is one of the best connected countries in the world by air, with six airports handling more than five million passengers per annum, offering an intensive short-haul network and an increasing number of long-haul destinations. In addition almost 30 regional airports offer important direct connectivity to key business and leisure destinations.

The Government is developing a new, long-term Aviation Strategy to 2050 and beyond which aims to achieve a safe, secure and sustainable aviation sector that meets the needs of consumers and of a global, outward-looking Britain. A ‘Next Steps’ document published in April, stated that the Government will consider whether our nations and regions are suitably connected by either air or surface access transport to the rest of the UK and to key overseas markets.