Government to Protect Regional Flights Following Lord Empey Campaign

Ulster Unionist Peer Lord Empey has welcomed confirmation that the UK Government is taking powers to ensure regional connectivity and oversee landing slots at major hub airports, following Empey’s 14-year campaign.

Following two Private Members' Bills introduced in 2012 and 2015, Lord Empey pressed the issue through a series of amendments to the Civil Aviation (Consumer Protection and Regulatory Reform) Bill as it passed through the House of Lords.

The Minister of State at the Department for Transport, Lord Hendy, has now confirmed on the record that the Secretary of State will have the legal powers to intervene if necessary to safeguard regional airport slots.

Welcoming the news, Lord Empey said:

"Access for aircraft to land at major airports such as Heathrow is broken down into slots, which are constrained by airport capacity and worth many millions of pounds. My concern over the years has been that access to major UK airports from the regions could be severely restricted if those slots were used for more lucrative long-haul routes.

"The airlines controlling these slots are often owned by international companies. In recent weeks, we have heard that easyJet is likely to change hands, while British Airways is part of IAG. If one of these international groups were sold to a Middle Eastern sovereign wealth fund, its new management might find long-haul flights more profitable and reduce the number of regional slots.

"Up until the UK left the EU, the Government argued they could do nothing as it was a European Union competence. Now that a legislative gap was created, I put down a number of amendments to the Civil Aviation Bill on slots, air cabin quality, drop-off charges, and flight time limitations, with my main focus on the slot issue.

"While I am concerned about regional connectivity throughout the UK, Northern Ireland in particular is most vulnerable. In Great Britain there can be rail and road alternatives, but here there is little alternative but air access to major hub airports.

"As the most westerly part of the UK, air access for business and international markets is crucial, and transport links are always a major concern for inward investors. Redirecting slots away from regional airports would cripple not only tourism but business access and place our regions at a huge disadvantage.

"I believe regional connectivity today is well served, and my campaign has been aimed at avoiding a crisis in the future. I had engagement with the responsible Minister, Lord Hendy. I am pleased he put on the record that the Secretary of State will in fact have the powers to intervene if needed to ensure regional connectivity, including for Northern Ireland.

"While we must always be vigilant, I am satisfied that after 14 years of campaigning, including two Private Members' Bills in 2012 and 2015, something of substance will finally be on the statute book to protect regional access to major hub airports, and that the particular vulnerabilities of Northern Ireland’s access have finally been recognised."