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BAR UK blasts main parties manifestos

Direct News Source

13-Apr-2010 The Board of Airline Representatives in the UK (BAR UK), representing over 90 airlines, has strongly criticised the transport policies in the election manifestos of all three main political parties as failing to meet the country’s aviation needs.

Mike Carrivick, Chief Executive said

"The airline industry feels let down by the manifestos of the main political parties in their lack of vision and commitment in addressing the air travel needs of the UK public, industry and the economy. The global competitiveness of the UK is at stake through isolated policies attempting to tax or restrict what is a global industry. Taxation alone can never deliver the benefits that the UK public and industry are demanding."

The BAR UK board declares that the incumbent government is determined to maintain and increase the exorbitant levels of Air Passenger Duty that affect the UK and visitors alike.

The Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats both seek to deny additional runway capacity not only at Heathrow, but also at Gatwick and Stansted. Such policies are no remedy to aircraft stacking over the Home Counties, are highly detrimental to the industry's efforts to reduce emissions and deny access to global markets for those elsewhere in the UK.

Both these Parties also plan to impose a tax per plane but, significantly, have not stated how this will be structured. The Labour Government had previously failed when they planned the same thing.

Either way, all three main Parties discriminate against flying rather than planning long term solutions for a vital industry.

BAR UK today outlined its five key requirements on aviation for the next Government;

1. To recognise that a third runway at Heathrow is a priority for the UK economy and that this expansion is not funded by the Government. It is required to resist the increasing threat to jobs and the economy from competing hub airports in other countries.

2. To embrace the White Paper and the Civil Aviation Bill 'The Future of Air Transport', that was published in 2003 at immense cost, as the template for the industry for the next 30 years and to refrain from piecemeal tampering and short term measures.

3. To reduce Air Passenger Duty (APD) with immediate effect and to completely abolish APD once the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) commences in 2012.

4. To acknowledge that aviation is a relatively low emitter, contributing just 2.5% of global carbon emissions, and assist an already proactive industry with research and technology incentives to reward further efficiency gains.

5. To proactively seek to bring forward planned improvements in European airspace management which is where the quickest and most significant reductions in carbon emissions can be achieved.

BAR UK continues to lobby the political parties upon the importance of effective, integrated and fair transportation policies.