UK House of Commons inquiring into Future of Aviation

The Transport Committee of United Kingdom House of Commons (the lower house of the UK Parliament) has started holding hearings as part of its inquiry into the Future of Aviation. Uncorrected transcripts of the first hearing on 6 May 2009, which heard from the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT), the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and the Royal Aeronautical Society among others, the second hearing on 13 May 2009 NEW and the third hearing on 17 June 2009 NEW are now available.

The six sets of questions the Committee is seeking to address in its inquiry are:

1. What is the value of aviation to the UK economy? What are the roles of the London and regional airports? What competition do they face from abroad?

2. Is the current aviation infrastructure adequate for the needs of UK business and individuals and how should it be developed? What are the implications of future passenger trends and possible mergers in the airline industry?

3. To what extent can rail provide an alternative to short-haul flights?

4. What costs does aviation impose on society and the environment? What are the implications of climate change policy—in particular the Climate Change Act 2008—for the aviation industry and infrastructure?

5. What is the impact of taxation on the aviation sector nationally and regionally? Are passengers adequately protected from the collapse of airlines?

6. What is the impact on the aviation sector of changes in the security environment?

The UK Parliament's web site also has a topic page on aviation.