New UK government conditionally backs airport expansion

The UK’s secretary of state for transport, Louise Haigh, says the
new Labour government will support airport expansion in the UK providing it delivers
economic growth and does not breach environmental criteria.

Haigh, who assumed her new role following Labour’s victory
in July’s general election, addressed delegates at the Airlines 2024 conference
in London yesterday, saying the government was focused on “growing our economy,
growing aviation, and growing sustainably”.

She noted that the government had already granted approval
for London City Airport to increase capacity, with decisions on London Gatwick
and London Luton airports’ own expansion plans due in coming months.

“We’re completely behind aviation expansion as long as it
sits behind our four tests,” said Haigh, pointing to air quality and noise limits,
climate change targets, and whether it delivers economic benefits. “In policy
terms, this government is behind aviation expansion if it meets our tests.”

In her first major aviation speech, Haigh also announced the
overhaul of the Jet Zero Taskforce and plans for a revenue certainty mechanism
to encourage investment in the production of alternative aviation fuels in the UK.

“The biggest green lever we can pull right now is SAF
(sustainable aviation fuel),” she said. “Within weeks of entering office, we’ve
laid legislation that brings the SAF mandate into force on the 1^st
of January next year. This will take us to 10 per cent SAF in the UK fuel mix
by 2030 and 22 per cent by 2040.”

She continued: “Those timelines are rightly ambitious. This
government is going further and moving faster in the hope the industry does too.
By the end of 2026, but quicker if possible, we will legislate for a revenue
certainty mechanism that gives SAF investors confidence to choose the UK. By
accelerating domestic SAF production we will steal a march on international
competitors and unlock the 10,000 skilled jobs on offer by 2030.”

Haigh added: “Decarbonisation in my eyes doesn’t mean flying
less but flying differently, enabling more people to enjoy the huge benefits of
flight but at less cost to the climate.

“We don’t want to put an unnecessary ceiling on growth which
is why we’ve acted so quickly on the SAF mandate and a revenue certainty mechanism.

“We will always invest in what matters: infrastructure,
connectivity, innovation… the building blocks of growth.”