Nine out of 10 MPs say the UK’s air links are more important than ever before
Almost nine out of 10 MPs say the UK's air connectivity is more important than ever before, and a large majority say the issue should be a top negotiating priority for the government after Brexit.
A survey commissioned by the Airport Operators Association found that 86 per cent of MPs agreed on the increased significance of air links for travel and trade in and out of Britain.
Similarly, 82 per cent said the continued ability for airlines to fly between both the UK and the EU, and other non-EU members, should figure highly in the UK's negotiations.
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At present air service agreements provide a legal framework to travel between countries, with EU-level deals also opening passage between member states and the US and Canada, among other destinations.
Such deals can include anything from the specific destinations to which flights can arrive, to the number of services which can operate.
AOA chairman Ed Anderson said: “International aviation connectivity will the foundation upon which a truly global Britain is built, with already nearly three-quarters of visitors to the UK and 40 per cent of the UK’s trade by value travelling by air.”
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It comes less than two weeks after the government launched its consultation on a third runway at Heathrow with the publication of its national policy statement.
A 16 week national consultation will mark the first phase of a year-long series of approvals for construction at the West London site.