Asked by: John Glen (Conservative - Salisbury)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Prime Minister plans to use sustainable aviation fuel for official (a) domestic and (b) overseas flights.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
My Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State for Transport set out to the House on 22 July 2024 our plans to support the development, production, and use of sustainable aviation fuel which the Government already uses where possible.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he is taking steps to help (a) ensure that regulations on cost-sharing flights do not disproportionately affect the general aviation community, (b) support pilots in meeting potential new regulatory requirements and (c) minimise the (i) financial and (ii) operational costs of meeting those requirements.
Answered by Anthony Browne
The CAA supports the practice of cost sharing and recognises that it brings many benefits to pilots. However, following a review of cost sharing regulations, the CAA determined that the rules on cost sharing are open to misinterpretation and potential abuse in their current form.
Proposals to reform cost sharing regulations in the UK include limiting the number of passengers that can be carried on a single flight, clarifying the costs which pilots can legitimately share and requiring pilots to complete and retain a Passenger Declaration Form. The latter will make their passengers aware of the increased risk associated with general aviation flying compared to commercial air transport flights. The CAA has also proposed changes to the advertising requirements for flights posted online to improve the transparency of cost sharing arrangements for the participating public.
The CAA has consulted extensively with the general aviation community on its proposed changes to cost sharing regulations and has taken this feedback into account when drafting its final recommendations to the DfT. The CAA plans to develop a range of guidance to be made available on its website, which will explain what is required of them and provide vital support for pilots. This guidance will be published once changes to the regulation are finalised. Providers of cost sharing services will be given appropriate time to adjust their systems and procedures before the changes come into effect.
The Department supports the CAA’s initiative to revise its cost sharing regulations, to help emphasise the safety measures to protect consumers and prevent potential abuse of the activity. The CAA will continue to provide updates on the progress of its changes to cost sharing regulation as part of the regular forums it holds with DfT and general aviation organisations.
Feb. 14 2024
Source Page: Correspondence regarding the closure of Tayside Aviation: FOI releaseFound: Correspondence regarding the closure of Tayside Aviation: FOI release
Special Report Apr. 03 2024
Committee: Environmental Audit CommitteeFound: Sixth Special Report - Net zero and the UK aviation sector: Government Response to the Committee’s Third
Mentions:
1: Lord Gascoigne (Con - Life peer) General aviation flights are those that do not operate to schedule. - Speech Link
2: Viscount Goschen (Con - Excepted Hereditary) As we know, aviation, particularly general aviation, can be affected by weather, and we do not want to - Speech Link
3: Lord German (LD - Life peer) If I cannot use it to go to Ireland in the general aviation sector, I would like to know why. - Speech Link
4: Lord Coaker (Lab - Life peer) Some 400 airfields currently operate 124,000 general aviation flights. - Speech Link
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of financially incentivising the use of sustainable aviation fuel.
Answered by Anthony Browne
On 25 April 2024, the government’s response to the second consultation on the UK SAF Mandate was published. This confirmed the final design of the scheme which, subject to parliamentary approval, will come into force on 1 January 2025.
The SAF Mandate builds upon the success of the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RFTO), providing a long-term incentive to supply sustainable aviation fuel through a guaranteed level of demand.
As part of the SAF Mandate’s design, the government has published Cost Benefit Analysis documents that comprehensively present the possible costs and benefits of the scheme.
Dec. 14 2023
Source Page: Aviation statistics informationFound: Aviation statistics information
Asked by: Claire Hanna (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Belfast South and Mid Down)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she plans to take to help improve accessibility on flights for disabled passengers.
Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Accessible air travel is a key priority, and everyone should be able to fly with ease and dignity. Government is committed to working closely with industry and stakeholders to make progress in improving aviation accessibility.
Asked by: Gavin Newlands (Scottish National Party - Paisley and Renfrewshire North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to section 158 of the Energy Act 2023, what his Department's timescale is for a public consultation on the options for designing and implementing a sustainable aviation fuel revenue certainty scheme.
Answered by Anthony Browne
The Government put forward a provision in the Energy Act that commits to publishing a consultation on the options for designing and implementing a revenue certainty scheme for sustainable aviation fuel within six months of the Act receiving Royal Assent, which happened on 26 October.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with (a) Heathrow Airport, (b) the Civil Aviation Authority and (c) NATS Holdings on the timeline for progressing the Future Airspace Strategy Implementation South changes.
Answered by Anthony Browne
The department has in place robust engagement and governance arrangements to effectively monitor the delivery of airspace modernisation by key organisations, such as the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and NATS.
Heathrow Airport, the CAA and NATS are members of the Aviation Council. Co-chaired at Ministerial level, the council brings together industry and government to support the delivery of key policy ambitions such as airspace modernisation. The Secretary of State for Transport also visited Heathrow Airport and NATS last year.
The department also regularly engages with the Airspace Change Organising Group (ACOG) who are responsible for overseeing the FASI programme which currently includes 20 airports in the UK, including Heathrow Airport