§ Ms AthertonTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what change there has been in the amount of regional air travel in the last six weeks. [14322]
§ Mr. ChallenTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment he has made of the market for regional air services after the events of 11 September. [14336]
§ Mr. JamiesonOver the last six weeks air services across the UK have been in a state of flux. Routes have been cancelled, put on hold, reduced in terms of frequency, moved between airports and put back on by another airline.
BAA reported that at their airports their worst affected routes were the North Atlantic down 25.9 per cent. in September (38 per cent. in the period after the 11 September). However growth has continued in Scotland, figures for October show Edinburgh up 13 per cent. and Glasgow up 7 per cent., Stansted has also recorded growth of 5 per cent. These increases are largely the result of the continued development of low cost airlines.
The Government are working hard to help return the aviation industry to business as usual as quickly as possible. We are carrying out a fundamental review of aviation security to ensure that air travel is as safe from terrorist attacks as we can make it while, at the same time, balancing security with our freedom to travel.