Flybe, Europe’s largest regional airline welcomed wholeheartedly the publication of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Aviation’s report into its Inquiry into Aviation Policy and Air Passenger Duty (APD). In it, the APPG calls, among other things, for the government to undertake an economic analysis of the impact of APD on the UK economy and to protect UK regional access to any future UK hub airport.

The report recognises, in the very first line of the Executive Summary something that Flybe has been saying for years, that ‘Evidence from experience in other European countries and indications of changing patterns of traffic, particularly from the UK regions, appears to confirm the adverse impacts of imposing APD, particularly at the high rates in the UK’.

Commenting on the report, Andrew Strong, Flybe UK’s Managing Director said: “Having taken evidence from Airports, Airlines, Economists, Businesses and Environmentalists, the All Party Group have perfectly encapsulated the issues facing aviation and prescribed a set of solutions that get right to the heart of what needs to be done. The report is a breath of fresh air and should be compulsory reading for decision-makers in Whitehall, Westminster and beyond.

He continued: “Flybe particularly welcomes the call for government to undertake a detailed economic analysis of the true impact of APD. At a time when regional economies in particular need all the help they can get, such a move is crucial starting point. We also applaud their conclusion that, in the development of its Aviation Policy, the needs of regional access to UK hubs are protected. Flybe have served the UK’s regions for three decades and it is heartening to hear a cross-party group like the APG stick up for the millions of passengers who don’t live in London but still need leisure and business access to the rest of the world.’