Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government which persons could become liable for charges under the provisions relating to charges for air traffic and air navigation services in the Civil Aviation (Consumer Protection and Regulatory Reform) Bill; and in respect of which air traffic or air navigation services such charges could be imposed.

The Civil Aviation Bill includes measures to broaden the types of persons which the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) may specify as liable to pay charges for air traffic and air navigation services provided under a licence. The relevant services are defined in section 98 of the Transport Act 2000. The Bill would remove an existing restriction that the persons charged must be owners or operators of an aircraft, but would also require that the services concerned must be available for their use or benefit. The intent is to ensure that there is sufficient legal flexibility for the continued application of the established ‘user pays’ principle as the use of airspace evolves.