Source · Select Committees · Transport Committee
Recommendation 18
18
Paragraph: 93
The delivery of the airspace modernisation strategy cannot be subject to further delay.
Conclusion
The delivery of the airspace modernisation strategy cannot be subject to further delay. Urgent attention is required if the strategy’s target deadlines are to be met. The need to deliver the strategy’s initiatives is particularly acute in the context of the Government’s decarbonisation targets and the expectation that passenger numbers will return to pre-pandemic levels in the next two years.
Paragraph Reference:
93
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
The Government has noted this recommendation. The Department for Transport recognise the importance of systems efficiencies, including airspace modernisation, to achieving aviation decarbonisation, as set out in our Jet Zero Consultation. The five measures we consulted on were Systems Efficiencies, Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF), Zero Emission Flight (ZEF), Markets and Removals, and Influencing Consumers. The Jet Zero Council focuses on two of those five measures: Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) and Zero Emission Flight (ZEF) and brings together government, industry and academia to accelerate the development and commercialisation of SAF and ZEF in the UK. The Airspace Change Organising Group leads on airspace modernisation. The Jet Zero Council is intended to complement, not duplicate, existing structures and bodies. When the Jet Zero Council was established in July 2020, we sought to ensure that all relevant parts of the industry were represented, from airlines, airports and aerospace manufacturers, to NGOs, academics and start-ups. To ensure that the Council remains at the forefront of driving zero emission transatlantic flight within a generation, we are currently reviewing the Council’s membership to ensure it reflects the expertise required to deliver the challenge. However, there will always be practical limits to the size of the Council, and we are not able to accommodate all individual requests for membership. To support the delivery of the Jet Zero Council and allow wider participation in its work, we have established Delivery Groups focussed on Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) and Zero Emission Flight (ZEF), which we encourage organisations with relevant interests to engage with.