Aviation All-Party Parliamentary Group re-established

The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Aviation is back at a crucial time for aviation.

A statement issued today said, “The APPG for Aviation is delighted to be able to confirm that it is fully re-established with strong and growing support from Members of Parliament and the House of Lords under the Chairmanship of Tim Roca, MP for Macclesfield.”

The APPG operates with a number of working groups:

• Airfields which looks after all matters affecting General Aviation aerodromes.
• Next Generation of Aviation Employees, tackling the concerning skills and recruitment issues within aviation, and the unique STEM opportunities it offers.
• The Tax and Regulation Group is working on a number of avenues to assist aviation by way of lower financial burdens.
• Airspace seeks to build on the work already in progress to simplify the skies over the UK.
• Sustainability will shortly be re-convened.
• Heritage – concerned with the UK’s unique and irreplaceable flying history will continue to look for a way to ensure that generations to come are inspired by historic aircraft.

The APPG has also expanded with the addition of the new Airshows and Air Displays Working Group which held its inaugural meeting in the House of Lords on 4 March. This is the first time that Airshows and Air Displays have had representation at Westminster, despite attracting around five million people per year, and being the 4th most popular spectator event after football, horse racing and music festivals.

Matthew Bolshaw is the Public Liaision for the APPG and explained that considerable work has already been completed, including:

• Letter to the Aviation Minister resulting in an immediate reassurance from the CAA for smaller aerodromes over a looming deadline for the most basic level of air traffic accreditation.
• The Airfields group has also produced, thanks to its head of planning, guidance for Parliamentary Members on pressing issues, not least the inadequate consideration of aerodromes in a number of DCO projects.
• The incorrect classification of aerodromes as brownfield land is the subject of further guidance. A simple change to the NPPF would result in a far more difficult route for developers to consider building on airfields.

“The matters above, together with other GA issues will hopefully be discussed in a Westminster Hall debate,” said Matthew.

In addition, the Strategic Airfield Network is being widely championed. This initiative, created by Ann Bartaby and Louise Southern, is the most comprehensive survey of GA aerodromes that has been undertaken. Download the latest newsletter from the Network here.

“Based on the returns from aerodrome operators and owners it provides a robust database which has identified the network of aerodromes considered to be of strategic importance.

“The next stage is to use the data to demonstrate the need for more robust Government policy protection in order to ensure that the UK remains one of the leading locations for GA and the myriad benefits it brings, worldwide,” added Matthew.

All-Party Parliamentary Group for Aviation