Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has undertaken a cost-benefit analysis of operating 12,000 commercial flights annually from RAF Northolt.

Between 2011 and 2013 the Government reviewed a range of options for RAF Northolt, including the potential for disposal or transfer of the aerodrome functions to a civil operator. As part of this, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) commissioned the 2012 Project Ark report. The reference to civil licences in the Project Ark report was in relation to some of these options. Following this review, in April 2013 MOD Ministers took the decision to retain RAF Northolt as a military aerodrome, and other options were not taken forward. Therefore, civil licences were not considered further.

The Project Ark report said that there may be potential to increase civil use on the military aerodrome up to 20,000 movements. However, Ministers took the decision to raise the self-imposed cap on civil movements to 12,000 movements per year. There are no plans to revisit this decision.

Following that April 2013 review decision, the Project Ark report was archived, many of its options remained hypothetical, and it is not an active planning document.

Medium-size airliner type aircraft can be operated at RAF Northolt. Alongside the based BAe 146 military airframes, a number of European allies operate medium-airliner-sized military aircraft into RAF Northolt on military business. However, civil movements remain under strict terms and conditions which specifically limit operating hours and the number of passengers, and exclude Scheduled Commercial Operations. This has the effect of limiting the types of civil aircraft which can operate into RAF Northolt to business aviation flights.

No meetings have been held with commercial airlines about RAF Northolt, but Ministers did in late 2015 and early 2016 correspond twice in reply to the Chief Executive of Flybe, following an unsolicited bid from that airline. This was not considered further. There are no plans to change the strict terms and conditions that limit the number of passengers on civil movements and exclude scheduled flights.

As the planned runway works will see the refurbishment of existing infrastructure for military requirements, and no change of use is planned, there is no requirement for planning permission.