Commercial Air Routes: United Kingdom and East Africa

Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne Excerpts

Wednesday 13th February 2019 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Sugg]

My Lords, we aim to increase our connectivity across the globe. We have a very experienced team of air services negotiators in our department who work across the world to deliver new air services agreements. Our current approach is to favour as much liberalisation as possible, providing it is in the UK’s national interest. Regardless of the negotiations, Brexit will not deliver new slots, but an increased capacity at Heathrow will do. That will help us increase our links, and increase our trade links, across the world.

[Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne (Con)]

My Lords, given the Middle East’s enormous appetite for access to the British market, would the Minister reconsider the prohibition on direct flights from Iraq to the United Kingdom and lift the prohibition on Iraqi pilots? Sadly, at the moment, they must be substituted by Jordanian pilots, who are doubtless wonderful but are none the less not the national product.

[Baroness Sugg]

My Lords, all of our decisions are based on our priorities of safety and security. We regularly look at our current system and will update it regularly.