§ 4. Sir A. V. Harveyasked the Minister of Aviation which executive aircraft are allowed to land and be housed at London Airport.
§ Mr. WoodhousePrivate and executive aircraft are permitted to use London (Heathrow) Airport in accordance with the rules set out in Civil Aviation Information Circular No. 56/1961. I am arranging for a copy of this circular to be sent to my hon. Friend.
§ Sir A. V. HarveyWill my hon. Friend take another look at this matter and try to emulate what happens in other countries, for example at Idlewild, Newark, U.S.A., and Zurich, where many more executive aircraft are landing? In turn, that helps the revenue and the facilities available. Why do we take such a narrow view of this matter?
§ Mr. WoodhouseI do not think it is true to say that we take a narrow view of the matter. The airports which my hon. Friend mentioned are in different circumstances in one way or another from Heathrow. After the information circular, to which I referred, had come into effect, over 1,200 landings of executive aircraft took place in the following twelve months at Heathrow.
§ Mr. CroninIs there not a very large scope for an increase in the manufacture of executive-type aircraft? Would it not help our manufacturing industry enormously if the Ministry adopted a less restricted attitude towards private executive aircraft, consistent with safety?
§ Mr. WoodhouseThere is certainly very great scope for it, and we do everything we can to encourage it. Heathrow is the only civil airport in which there is any limitation at all. Bearing in mind that it is intended primarily for the use of civil aircraft operating scheduled passenger and freight services, I do not think that the limitations are unreasonable, also bearing in mind that there is no other airport to which they apply.