Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to improve regional air travel.

Regional airports serve our local communities and act as a gateway to international opportunities, alongside maintaining social and family ties and strengthening the bonds between the four nations.

The UK aviation market operates predominantly in the private sector. It is for airports to invest in their infrastructure to attract passengers and airlines, while airlines are well placed to deliver services to their customers by responding to demand for different routes.

The public service obligation (PSO) regulations enable the protection of existing domestic routes that are in danger of being lost. The government currently joint-funds three PSO routes into London from Derry/Londonderry, Newquay and Dundee.