Air Commodore Harveyasked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether he will make a statement on the 166W cost of the aerodromes operated by the state.
§ Mr. WatkinsonThe net operating cost of aerodromes under my control rose from about £1,669,000 in 1954–55 to £1,856,000 in 1955–56. But the cost in 1951 was over £2 million. Over the last five years, therefore, the net operating cost has been reduced by about £150,000 while the number of passengers handled has risen from 2½ million to 4½ million in the same period.
The reduction took place in spite of a large increase in the cost of technical services which is essential—and indeed inevitable—at a time when aircraft are growing rapidly in numbers and speed and when air traffic control problems consequently become more complex every day. Our responsibility in this field extends far beyond the aerodromes themselves and involves control over long-distance routes, particularly the North Atlantic.
As regards charges to aircraft, the problem cannot be treated as concerning airports alone. British aircraft pay landing fees abroad and a substantial increase in fees all over the world, which might follow unilateral action here, might injure British interests generally and our balance of payments. I have therefore waited for the conclusion of the International Conference on Airport Charges. I am studying the report, and I hope before long to announce a scheme for increased landing fees.