§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Transport if, in view of the importance to the tourist industry, he will take steps to stimulate direct air services to and from overseas to regional airports.
§ Mr. David MitchellAir service agreements with other European countries already provide over 1,500 routes on which air services may operate between regional airports in the United Kingdom and airports elsewhere in Europe. The Government are prepared to seek rights on other routes if airline operators judge that sufficient public demand exists. The inter-regional air service directive which was provisionally adopted by the Council of Ministers earlier this month will further reduce the formalities for airlines wishing to operate such services.
§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish a list of all existing air service agreements with foreign countries which designate Manchester and other regional airports as an approved destination for the operation of international services.
§ Mr. David MitchellThe information requested is as follows
Bilateral air service agreements with the following countries provide for them to designate airlines to operate scheduled services to certain regional airports in the United Kingdom including Manchester.
- Austria
- Belgium
- Denamark
- France
- Federal Republic of Germany
- Ireland
- Italy
- Malta
- Morocco
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- USA
- Yugoslavia
- Zambia
Agreements with the following countries provide for them to designate airlines to operate scheduled services to Manchester (but not other regional airports).
- Australia
- Brazil
- Poland
- Spain
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Agreements with the following countries provide for them to designate airlines to operate scheduled services to one regional airport in Britain (which remains to be agreed).
- Nigeria
- Tunisia
Agreements with the following countries provide for them to designate airlines to operate scheduled services to certain regional airports in the United Kingdom but not Manchester.
- Burma
- Canada
- Iceland
- India
- Jamaica
- Japan
- Panama
Other arrangements provide for Cyprus Airways to operate scheduled services to regional airports including Manchester and for designated airlines from Portugal and Singapore to operate scheduled services to Manchester.
Bilateral air services agreements with the following countries provide for the United Kingdom to designate airlines to operate scheduled services from certain regional airports in the United Kingdom including Manchester.
- Australia
- Austria
- Bahrain
- Barbados
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Burma
- Cameroon
- Canada
- Columbia
- Denmark
- Ethiopia
- France
- Federal Republic of Germany
- Ghana
- Iceland
- India
- Iran
- Ireland
- Italy
- Jamaica
- Japan
- Kenya
- Liberia
- Malta
- Mauritius
- Morocco
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Nigeria
- Norway
- Oman
- Portugal
- Qatar
- Saudi Arabia
- Sierra Leone
- Spain
- Sri Lanka
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Tanzania
- Trinidad and Tobago
- UAE
- USA
107 - Venezuela
- Yugoslavia
- Zaire
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
A bilateral air services agreement with Tunisia provides for the United Kingdom to designate airlines to operate scheduled services from Manchester (but not other regional airports) and an agreement with Panama provides similar rights in relation to a regional airport in the United Kingdom other than Manchester.Bilateral air service agreements negotiated with Korea and Seychelles but not yet signed will provide for the United Kingdom to designate airlines to operate scheduled services from certain regional airports in the United Kingdom including Manchester.Other arrangements with the Governments concerned allow British designated airlines to operate scheduled services from regional airports including Manchester to Ecuador and between Manchester (but not other regional airports) and Cyprus.
§ Mr. Montgomeryasked the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has for stimulating direct air services to and from overseas to regional airports.
§ Mr. David MitchellThere is already considerable scope for airlines to operate scheduled services from regional airports if they believe that there is sufficient public demand. Our bilateral air services agreements with other countries already provide for scheduled services on some 1,500 different international routes from regional airports in the United Kingdom. Many of these are not taken up by operators. I will consider seeking rights for British airlines to serve any other route for which they obtain a licence from the Civil Aviation Authority. I will also consider requests from overseas Governments to allow their airlines to serve other routes. In all cases I shall, of course, bear in mind the need to achieve an acceptable overall balance of advantage in our civil aviation relations with the country concerned.