Aviation capacity a ‘vital priority’, McLoughlin says

Increasing aviation capacity in the UK is a ‘vital priority’, according to Secretary of State for Transport Patrick McLoughlin.

Speaking at the British Air Transport Association annual dinner 2016, McLoughlin addressed concerns regarding the delayed decision to expand Britain’s airport capacity.

The Transport secretary praised continued growth in the UK’s aviation sector, but warned that without action London’s aviation network will be ‘full’ by 2040. He said that ‘sorting out the capacity issue is critical’ and that the debate had moved on from ‘whether a new runway should be built, to where’.

Discussing the delays, McLoughlin accepted that many had been disappointed, but stressed that it ‘wasn’t something we took lightly’.

Addressing those opposed to the expansion, he said: “When opponents of expansion hailed the delay as some sort of victory. They could not have been more wrong.

“The decision was delayed because it was the right thing to do… The responsible thing to do. To make sure we’re fully prepared. So we know from the outset that we will get the job finished.”

McLoughlin claimed that risking any chance of failure at this stage would be ‘unacceptable’, and assured audience members that every step had been taken to ensure the case for more capacity was ‘watertight’.

As a part of these measures, he explained that the Airports Commission was working to build confidence that the expansion can take place within legal limits, including more work on compliance, more work on reducing carbon and more work to address concerns regarding noise.

He finished by promising that a decision would be made and that it would be the ‘right decision for Britain’, ensuring that ‘the benefits are widely appreciated’ and the ‘environmental impacts are clearly mitigated’.