New UK government conditionally backs airport expansion

November 26, 2024
Air travel

According to Louise Haigh, the UK's secretary of state for transportation, the incoming Labour government would back airport construction in the country as long as it spurs economic growth and complies with environmental regulations.

Speaking to attendees at the Airlines 2024 conference in London yesterday, Haigh, who took on her new position after Labour won the general election in July, stated that the government's priorities were "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 1st 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.”