Our view

We need an environmentally sustainable air transport policy. For this to happen we believe that  air traffic levels need to be contained. We think this can be done if:

• There is investment in faster train services, including sleepers for longer distances;
• There is promotion of videoconferencing and ‘telepresence’ services;
• Economic measures are used to manage demand for air travel by removing the unfair tax advantages flying has, as well as taking account of its wider environmental impacts such as noise;
• There is greater emphasis on and support for local food and holidays rather than food flown round half the world or weekend breaks to other continents.

Such a policy would mean the Government would:

• end the current anomaly of the zero-rating of VAT for air transport fuel;
• replace Air Passenger Duty with a per plane charge, in order to cover air freight and private jets as well;
• strongly pursue measures to allow 'slot auctioning', at the European level, to ensure existing capacity and aircraft are used most efficiently;
• limit carbon emissions from aviation for 2020 onwards not just in 2050;
• maintain a plan-led system for development, making the best use of existing infrastructure within environmental capacity constraints, including placing enforceable limits on air and noise pollution at airports.

In particular, action is needed to deal with aviation noise:

• adopt the World Health Organisation's internationally recognised standards on noise for assessing the effect on people's quality of life;
• update maps showing noise around airports so they include 50 decibels contours – which are more appropriate for assessing the impact of noise from aviation in tranquil areas and on vulnerable groups, like school children and the elderly;
• extend restrictions on the most intrusive night time flights at all airports;
• include the adverse effect of noise from aircraft flying over the countryside in calculating the cost of air travel on society.