Government encourages regional airports to unlock capacity potential
Today, alongside confirming support for the development of a third runway at Heathrow, the Government has confirmed, in a statement to Parliament, its support for other UK airports looking to make best use of existing runway capacity. The policy makes clear that Government supports all UK airports making best use of their existing runways. This follows a consultation last year as part of the Government’s development of a new Aviation Strategy.
Karen Smart, East Midlands Airport’s Managing Director, says:
“We welcome the government’s commitment to unlock the potential of regional airports to make best use of existing capacity. It is vital for the UK economy that the there is support for airports like East Midlands that can deliver greater access to world markets.
“As the region’s global gateway, EMA plays a critical role in getting people and products to overseas markets. As the country’s busiest airport for dedicated cargo traffic, it is already a key driver of the UK economy.
“Further investment in the airport would help meet the demand for growing connectivity to global markets over the next decade at a time when other major airports will run out of capacity. This would benefit both the UK as a whole, and stimulate regional imports and exports and local business growth.
“The Government must now match its support for Heathrow with specific and practical proposals to maximise EMA’s global connectivity in the period to 2030, including support for better rail connectivity serving East Midlands Parkway, and backing regional transit infrastructure to link the proposed HS2 Toton to the airport.”