§ Mr. BeithTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the safety of passenger aircraft approaching Newcastle Airport, following the AAIB report on an incident involving civilian and military aircraft on 20 March 2000; and if he will make a statement. [158411]
Mr. Robert AinsworthThe AAIB report made two recommendations to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), both of which the Authority has partially accepted. In its published response to the recommendations, the CAA said that the Directorate of Airspace Policy had conducted a study of operations by scheduled public transport services in all Class G airspace, including those in the vicinity of Newcastle Airport. The study confirmed that provided a Radar Advisory Service or Radar Information Service is used, safety levels in such airspace meet the internationally agreed standard.
It is clear from this incident, however, that not all traffic is availing itself of such air traffic services. Consequently the CAA is working closely with airspace users and Newcastle Airport, as a matter of urgency, on a wide range of initiatives aimed at preventing such conflicts in the future.