Memorandum by Local Government Association—Airports
Special Interest Group (AS 14)
UK/US AIR SERVICE AGREEMENTS
The Airports Special Interest Group (Airports SIG)
of the Local Government Association welcomes the opportunity to
contribute to the Sub-Committee's present inquiry into UK/US Air
Service Agreements.
The Airports SIG comprises elected representatives
of Local Authorities and Board members of Local Authority Airport
Companies. It considers matters of aviation, airport and transport
policy as well as wider issues of mutual interest. It seeks to
arrive at consensus positions on such matters, while recognising
that member airports may have perspectives which differ in detail
according to local circumstances.
In the context of the Sub-Committee's inquiry,
the LGA Airports SIG wishes to make the following points:
— All members of the SIG share a frustration
that, for too long, UK/US talks have been repeatedly stalled.
The SIG supports the principle of greater liberalisation of air
services generally, to achieve the broader economic and social
interests of the UK overall. Negotiations surrounding UK/US air
service agreements must have due regard to the benefits to be
had in achieving more direct international services, including
transatlantic services, for those regional airports which can
sustain them.
— The SIG wishes to remind the Sub-Committee
of the vital importance of access by air to London Heathrow from
the regions of the UK. This was clearly reflected by the Committee
in its Eighth Report, Regional Air Services, at paragraphs
40-53. London Heathrow is the UK's dominant hub airport, and to
argue that domestic air services into any of the other London
airports would serve the regions equally well is just not realistic.
The displacement of these strategically important domestic routes
in favour of further international services into Heathrow may
in some instances put UK regions at a serious competitive disadvantage,
particularly where those regions have limited capacity to sustain
direct international services at their airports.
The SIG is presenting in this memorandum a consensus
view discussed between member airports. The Sub-Committee will
be receiving other evidence direct from some individual member
airports. The SIG would of course be pleased to further assist
the Sub-Committee by giving oral evidence, or further written
evidence, to supplement this paper, if required.
Councillor Vilma Collins,
Chair
Councillor Brian Harrison,
Vice Chair
|
