Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions, if any, they have had with the airline industry regarding the expansion of long haul routes from Stansted Airport as a means of driving economic prosperity in the wider eastern England.

Department for Transport Ministers and officials hold regular discussions with airlines, airports and international partners to facilitate global connectivity. Air services between the United Kingdom and other countries are governed by a portfolio of bilateral air services agreements, which set the framework in which airlines from both countries operate. Officials continually review these agreements to ensure they remain up to date and meet the needs of airlines and airports, including Stansted Airport.

However, it is for individual airlines to determine whether to take advantage of the rights and routes available to them within any air services agreement.