Airport and Ground Operations Support Scheme

(asked on 23rd June 2021) - View Source

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will match the support given to retail and hospitality sectors by extending the Airports and Ground Operators Support Scheme to offer relief equivalent to full, uncapped business rates in 2021.


Answered by
Robert Courts Portrait
Robert Courts
Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
This question was answered on 28th June 2021

The aviation sector is crucial to the UK’s economy and businesses across the industry have drawn on an unprecedented package of economic measures which we have put in place. This includes support through loan guarantees, support for exporters, the Bank of England’s Covid Corporate Financing Facility, the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and the Airport and Ground Operations Scheme. In total, we estimate that by the end of September 2021 the air transport sector will have benefited from around £7bn of Government support since the start of the pandemic.

The Airport and Ground Operations Scheme provides eligible commercial airports support towards their fixed costs. The Scheme originally opened in January to provide support to airports for the 2020/21 financial year. In the March Budget, the Chancellor announced a six-month renewal to the scheme from April, initial payments will be made towards the end of the summer.

The caps on the support strike an appropriate balance between supporting airports and ground handing companies in financial distress while protecting the interests of the taxpayer.

The support will help airports and ground handlers following the introduction of international travel restrictions designed to protect the public. We continue to take a flexible approach and keep all impacts and policies under review.

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