Stop airport expansion
Use planning powers and other mechanisms to stop any future airport expansions
The aviation industry is a significant source of pollution across the whole of the UK. Aviation emissions were consistently climbing pre-pandemic. We cannot allow airport expansion which will increase demand and increase flight numbers. We should be working to limit demand and encourage users to use alternative forms of travel.
With so many airports trying to expand, urgent action is needed. Despite the claims of the airlines, aeroplane technology is developing too slowly to reduce emissions quickly enough.
The Scottish Government’s Aviation Statement offers no suggestion that demand management has been considered. Indeed, it states that: “our key aspiration is to help Scotland become at least as well connected as our peer nations and regions by growing demand for existing and new routes that are vital for inbound tourism, business connectivity and exports.”
This approach is contrary to the advice from the Climate Change Committee, which said in its 2023 report to the UK Parliament that there is a “need for a framework to manage airport capacity. There has been continued airport expansion in recent years, counter to our assessment that there should be no net airport expansion across the UK.”
Air travel cannot continue unabated and a managed approach to limiting expansion is the right thing to do to limit emissions. A managed approach to limiting air travel will also allow the UK and Scottish Governments to ensure the best possible outcome for aviation workers.
There is also significant local opposition to airport expansion plans across the UK, as shown through the links below.
For further information:
The Scottish Government’s Aviation Statement and policy: A review by Stop Climate Chaos Scotland, August 2024, https://www.stopclimatechaos.scot/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/The-Scottish-Governments-Aviation-Statement-and-policy_-A-review-by-Stop-Climate-Chaos-Scotland-August-2024.pdf
Stop Airport Expansions – New Economics Foundation, https://neweconomics.org/campaigns/stop-airport-expansions
Tell UK Government to Stop Airport Expansion – Friends of the Earth England, Wales and Northern Ireland,
https://action.friendsoftheearth.uk/petition/tell-uk-government-stop-airport-expansion
Safe Landing, a Just Transition for Aviation Workers group,
https://safe-landing.org/
Stay Grounded campaign: https://stay-grounded.org
Payment overdue – Fair ways to make polluters across the UK pay for climate justice, Oxfam, September 2023, https://oxfamilibrary.openrepository.com/bitstream/handle/10546/621539/bp-payment-overdue-fair-ways-to-make-UK-polluters-pay-180923-en.pdf?sequence=1
