Archived press release

Top think tank calls for airport expansion rethink

21 May 2003

A leading think tank today called on the Government to rethink airport expansion plans because of the huge environmental, social and economic disadvantages it would create.

A report by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), published today (Wednesday) says that the Government cannot meet its targets on climate change without measures to control greenhouse gas emissions from aviation. Building new runways, it says, would only make the problem worse.

The IPPR report also says that:

• The claimed economic benefits of more aviation growth may be exaggerated and are based on huge and unfair tax favours to the aviation industry;

• Demand to fly can, and should, be managed in a variety of ways. Managing demand would benefit society as a whole and avoid runway expansion;

• If aviation were taxed normally, and paid for the costs it imposed on society (e.g. from local air and noise pollution, road congestion and loss of wildlife to global climate change), there would be a more sensible use of air travel and less need for major new airport developments;

• Better use of existing airport and runway capacity should be achieved by auctioning the rights to landing and take off slots. This would raise vast amounts for the public purse for spending on essential services;

More airport expansion would reinforce economic inequalities between the UK regions, by increasing development pressure and economic activity in the south east while extracting jobs from other regions (fewer flights, less inward investment, less tourism).

Air and noise pollution problems must be tackled by extending the Environment Agency's powers (airports are currently unregulated for pollution) and creating a "bubble' (environmental limits) for each airport to operate within.

Welcoming the report Paul de Zylva, aviation campaigner at Friends of the Earth said:

"When Alistair Darling launched his airports consultation he said "doing nothing is not an option". He was right. He should end the perverse ?9 billion annual public subsidies to aviation, manage demand through fair taxation of an under-taxed industry, and make better use of existing runways by auctioning landing slots."

"The IPPR's report highlights the economic, social and environmental downsides of increasing air travel, all too frequently glossed over by ministers and the industry. It's outrageous that public services are cash-strapped, while tax-payers' money is being used to prop up this grossly polluting industry."

Notes

[1] `The sky's the limit: policies for sustainable aviation', by the Institute of Public Policy Research (IPPR) concludes that the forecast growth in aviation is unsustainable.

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust