§ Lord Brougham and Vauxasked Her Majesty's Government:
How the level of air traffic control delays this summer compares with that experienced in 1992, and what steps have been taken by the Civil Aviation Authority to improve the position on delays.
The Earl of CaithnessWe are glad to say that this summer delays have been significantly less than last year. Delays to traffic leaving the UK have been reduced from an average of 11 minutes throughout Summer 1992 to 7 minutes over the same period this year. There has been an even greater improvement for domestic traffic, with a decrease in the average delay for early morning flights to London from 20 minutes to 4 minutes over the same period. The number of outward bound flights delayed by more than an hour has decreased by 37 per cent., numbering typically 100 out of a total of some 7,500 flights a week. Delays to flights inbound to the UK have fallen from an average of 16 minutes in 1992 to 10 minutes in 1993. The service to airlines has been improved, with the time taken to respond to requests for take-off slots reduced from 24 minutes to 14 minutes.
These improvements reflect hard work by the CAA to provide increased airspace capacity, both through procedural measures and capital investment.
The authority's investment programme continues to make good progress with the successful transfer in 138WA October of the Heathrow and Gatwick approach control functions to the new Central Control Functions (CCF) operations room at the London Air Traffic Control Centre at West Drayton. The authority's £340 million new air traffic control centre at Swanwick, Hampshire, due to be completed in 1996, continues on time and on budget.