Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what criteria his Department uses to select Jet Zero council members; and what the gender and regional balance is of those council members.

The Jet Zero Council is jointly chaired by the Transport and Business Secretaries, who are supported by Heathrow Airport’s Emma Gilthorpe as the Jet Zero Council CEO. The Council brings together government with senior leaders in aviation, aerospace, and academia to drive the delivery of new technologies and innovative ways to cut aviation emissions.

When the Council was established in July 2020, we sought to ensure that all relevant parts of the industry were represented, from airlines, airports, and aerospace manufacturers, to NGOs, academics, and start-ups. The Council membership has diverse geographical representation reflective of the aviation and aerospace industry, with members who have regional, national and international reach.

The Jet Zero Council and its two Delivery Groups have a diverse membership from a range of backgrounds. Nearly 40 members are in the full Jet Zero Council and 195 members from 83 organisations are in the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Delivery Group, chaired by Jonathon Counsell of IAG. On 20 April, we launched the Zero Emission Flight Delivery Group, chaired by Rachel Gardner-Poole, and we will seek to ensure that its membership is also reflective of all parts of the industry.