Aviation issues need urgent action

Speaking at the first British Irish Airports Expo at Birmingham’s NEC, Flybe chief executive Saad Hammad accused the government of failing to take the problems of the industry seriously and said inactivity was holding back the UK aviation industry and the wider UK economy.

In contrast, he highlighted the National Aviation Policy published last year in the Irish Republic offering a clear set of actions to drive the development and growth of its aviation sector with the total lack of a coherent UK plan .

“This I believe,” he said, “is a mistake and one which the whole aviation industry should be arguing to have corrected.”

As well as APD and connectivity, he said it was also time for the government to make a decision on the expansion of services in London.

“I believe we, as the voices of the industry, need to continue to lobby government hard to deliver meaningful change not only for the industry – but more importantly for the benefit of the travelling public.”