Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made on the effect of the development of aircraft technology on the future role of hub airports.

The Department recognises that emerging technologies such as electric aircraft and automation have the potential to benefit passengers and the UK’s transport market; for example, by providing new options for how passengers or goods travel between our cities and regions. This could have an impact on how the UK’s airport network is used, potentially improving how we use our airports and our transport networks.

As part of the Government’s developing Aviation Strategy, we continue to engage with the aviation industry throughout the strategy process to understand the specific effects on airports.