Technical Working Groups

SASIG holds regular Technical Working Group meetings for interested members. These groups look at strategic policy areas relating to airports and provide a forum for discussion and information-sharing on these issues. Relevant regional-specific concerns are considered and SASIG consultation reponses to Government and other authorities are developed and refined.

SASIG Members and Affiliates can access minutes from Technical Working Group meetings here

SASIG Technical Working Groups exist in the following topic areas:

Surface Access to Airports

The Surface Access Working Group’s remit is to develop a range of policy asks, project (generic and specific) proposals and supporting evidence that the Group can then use to press Government to adopt approaches that ensure that surface access requirements associated with airports are adequately addressed and reflect their important role as part of the national infrastructure.

Environment, Planning and Airspace

This Working Group was established to review areas of policy that are often of greatest significance locally and in terms of local authority statutory responsibilities. They are also underpinned by complicated technical information with frequently little resident expertise in local authorities. This group therefore provides the opportunity to benefit from collective knowledge and experience in a network environment that many existing members have found helpful.

SASIG’s aim is to promote sustainable aviation and consequently the Group takes a close interest in noise, air quality, CO2 emissions, airspace change, and planning and safeguarding issues. It has generated responses to a number recent consultations, has flagged other key issues to DfT and has taken a strong position opposing additional regulatory burdens being imposed on local authorities.

Airports, Cities and Regional Economic Growth

The Airports, Cities and Economic Growth Working Group was set up to help highlight an important area of policy thus far ignored by Government.

To ensure that aviation consultations (namely the potential to generate material wider economic benefits from airport development and the need to ensure supportive policies in this regard) are reflected and integrated with related areas of Government policy such as the Industrial Strategy, City Deals, regional economic growth initiatives and skills and training.

Our suggestions for research in this area have met with positive responses amongst ministers and Whitehall officials and we are currently seeking partners to help take the work forward.

SASIG also participates in groups such as the:

Department for Transport’s aviation external advisory group
CAA community discussion forum
‘Runways UK’ advisory board – organisation seeking to secure an increase in aviation capacity
Department for Food Environment and Rural Affairs noise stakeholder group
Environmental Protection UK
Sustainable Aviation
Airspace and Noise Engagement Group (ANEG)

Relevant experts from these and other industry Groups are invited to speak at Working Group meetings, providing valuable information for SASIG members.

SASIG members are welcome to join any Technical Working Group meetings. If you are not a member of SASIG and would like to attend then please email us at: [email protected]