Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of re-designating formal (a) aerodrome traffic and (b) military air traffic zones handling below 10,000 commercial air traffic movements per year in order to allow more general aviation access.

Aerodrome and military air traffic zones provide a degree of protection to aircraft in the immediate vicinity of the aerodrome and form an important part of the structure of UK airspace. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has a duty to classify UK airspace and to keep such classification under review, under the Directions given by Government. In exercising this air navigation function the CAA must also reasonably apply a number of provisions, including to secure the most efficient use of airspace and to satisfy the requirements of operators and owners of all classes of aircraft.