Regional Airports

(asked on 2nd March 2015) - View Source

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what support his Department is providing to regional airports to promote the use of such airports by commercial airlines.


Answered by
Robert Goodwill Portrait
Robert Goodwill
This question was answered on 9th March 2015

The Aviation Policy Framework states that the Government would be inclined to support threatened routes to London within State aid regulations. We have therefore made funds available via the Regional Air Connectivity Fund to maintain regional air access to London which is in danger of being lost, through Public Service Obligations (PSOs). Last June we announced support for a Dundee-Stansted service for two years; and in October announced a four-year funding deal a service between Newquay and London Gatwick.

The Government has broadened the scope of the Regional Air Connectivity Fund to allow start-up aid for new routes from regional airports handling fewer than 5 million passengers per year, providing applications meet EU aviation State aid guidelines. Airports and airlines have submitted start-up bids, for services largely intended to commence in 2016, to my Department. We will announce a short list of routes for funding later this month, and announce final funding over the summer.

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