Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to support the growth of Birmingham Airport.

The Government has always made clear its view that airports, including Birmingham Airport, make a vital contribution to the growth and recovery of regional and local economies. The Government welcomes the ambition of UK’s airports which are responding to local demands and investing in their infrastructure to enable services to more destinations, and better facilities and choice for passengers.

Birmingham Airport announced at the end of last year it was investing £100 million on improvements to its facilities and infrastructure to improve the passenger experience.

A dedicated HS2 airport station will also improve surface access to the airport.

The government has also agreed that from this summer Birmingham Airport can become co-ordinated for the purposes of slot allocation, to maintain operational stability for the airport and the airlines that operate there.