Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of making Civil Aviation Authority helicopter tourist flight licenses subject to appeals by residents affected by those flights.

All United Kingdom commercial helicopter operators require an Air Operator Certificate (AOC) issued by the Civil Aviation Authority. The requirements for the granting of an AOC are set out in legislation, and are concerned with an operator’s ability to fulfil their responsibilities for safety. This approval process is not designed to take into account the environmental effect of individual flights. It would not be possible to take the views of affected residents into account because the AOC is not based on specific flying routes. Affected people with concerns over airspace or environmental effects, can inform the CAA using the Airspace Use Report (FCS 1521) form which can be downloaded from its website.