A survey of 86 member airlines by The Board of Airline Representatives in the UK (BAR UK) concludes that airlines share escalating concerns about their ability to operate effectively from Heathrow as result of capacity constraints and high taxation.

The responses showed that 86% of the airlines would seek additional frequencies if slots were available, and 88% considered that the UK economy was being damaged as a result of excessive taxation and capacity restrictions imposed by the Government.

The threat of increased taxes in the form of APD and the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) was cited as having a critical impact on profitability by 46% of airlines, with a further 42% indicating a significant impact.

Mike Carrivick, BAR UK chief executive, said “BAR UK will be incorporating the views of its members in its response to a scoping document by the DfT on the future aviation policy. It is extremely concerning that any new aviation policy is not expected to be announced until 2013 and yet the issues have been constantly highlighted to the Government and painfully obvious to the industry for years.

Foreign airlines have the choice of whether to operate their aircraft to the UK, but the survey has shown that additional flights that might have been operated to this country are under consideration to go elsewhere. Aviation is vital to the economic prosperity of the UK and another opportunity must not be lost in finally achieving the visionary aviation policy decisions this country urgently needs.”

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