ITC Report: The Sustainability of UK Aviation: March 2016

“The ITC has demonstrated through several research reports the importance of good international aviation connectivity for Britain, and the particular benefits of hosting a top, globally-connected, hub airport. We have therefore encouraged the Government to act swiftly and implement the Airports Commission’s recommendations to allow the delivery of new aviation infrastructure.

That the Government has not yet done so is due to concerns about the environmental impacts of aviation, particularly in three areas: noise, carbon emissions, and local air quality. The Government announced in December 2015 that it would be conducting further work on noise and local air quality, as well as addressing sustainability concerns that have arisen over airport expansion, before it takes a decision on airport expansion. The ITC agrees that these are crucial issues. We have commissioned this report to explore the trajectory of improvements in aviation sustainability and to reach an assessment on whether these will continue.”