John Spooner, Chairman of Regional & Business Airports Group (RABA) gave evidence to the Committee explaining the vital importance of regional airports and the role they play in local economies - supporting key aviation activities, creating jobs and describing the fiscal and regulatory regimes which add significant costs where small airports don't have the economies of scale to absorb the costs and also called for a more flexible and supportive policy framework around planning.

Newquay Cornwall Airport plays a vital role in RABA as many of its objectives are aligned with the Airport's own challenges. Al Titterington, Managing Director who represents the Airport on the group and supported the evidence given at the Select Committee said, "It is critical that the Select Committee hears the views of smaller regional airports like NQY and understand the challenges which we face, it has called for the evidence and we have produced our compelling arguments. "The level of political interest in regional aviation has really grown over the last 12 months, the closure at Dawlish last year highlighted how important air connectivity is for regions particularly Cornwall. I am hopeful that the views expressed and the Select Committee’s wider understanding of the
		Newquay Cornwall Airport MD  Al Titterington. Photo: businesscornwall.co.uk
impact of regional aviation will be built into its recommendations to Government which I hope will lead to a future regional aviation policy but also fed into the government's consideration of the Davies Commission Report."

The Committee was asked to help secure access from the regions to the London Airport system and any new runway capacity proposed by Heathrow and Gatwick.

It was particularly encouraging that the Select Committee appeared to recognise the multitude of social and economic roles performed by the UK's smaller regional airports - not just connecting the regions to the capital - and to themselves - but also enabling air ambulance, helicopter search and rescue and oil and gas field support services, aircrew, flight and engineering training, aircraft maintenance and a whole host of other activities - providing valuable skilled and unskilled employment opportunities.

The Select Committee was interested to explore why airports such as Plymouth, Manston, Coventry, Blackpool and others had faced enormous challenges during the economic recession and what could be done to ensure that their future – and that of airlines, air ambulances, training and engineering companies and other employers – could be made sustainable in the future.

The Committee was told by RABA that it was essential that the next runway to be developed in the London area served the UK’s regions – and that runway slots must be safeguarded at the right times and at an affordable price for use by flight serving the UKs regions.

The Committee also discussed how the costs of Air Passenger Duty and complying with UK regulatory requirements were particularly damaging to UK Regional Aviation.