CAA: exemplary regulator or lickspittle lackey?
HBM
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You decide...
The nice people at AirportWatch say:
The CAA (owned by airlines) produces advice to government to increase capacity in the south east. The CAA has now produced the third of its three “Insight Papers” for the DfT. It hopes these will influence the formation of new UK aviation policy, on which a public consultation will start in March. The CAA is not a neutral government agency; its membership is entirely airlines and air travel companies, and all its funding comes from them. It is therefore entirely biased in favour of aviation growth.
The latest Insight Note, entitled “Aviation Policy for the Future” wants more airport capacity in the south east. It also wants policies to keep the price of flying cheap, and stresses the importance of aviation growth to the UK’s economic prosperity, while keeping remarkably silent on the impact of air travel in taking UK money out of the country. It includes strange suggestions on noise like introducing a cap and trade system, and increasing the degree of community trust in airports.
This shows how the CAA is a mouthpiece for the aviation industry (which owns it) rather than an independent regulator that is trying to reduce the impacts of the industry. Its aim is to get growth for the aviation industry, and try to gloss over any difficulties or public opposition to achieving that growth.
airportwatch 10th Jan 2012
The CAA say:
The Government is currently undertaking a thorough review of aviation policy for the UK.
In his February 2011 letter to the CAA Chair setting out his priorities for the CAA, the then Secretary of State requested that the CAA contributes to the Government’s aim to promote sustainable aviation by providing advice to inform the development of a sustainable aviation policy framework for the UK. A copy of his letter is here.
The Economic Policy and International Aviation (EPIA) team within the CAA leads on advising on the Government’s aviation policy development and is responsible for taking a forward a programme of work to ensure we contribute effectively to the Government’s work in developing a sustainable aviation framework and help to forge a consensus on the issues raised.
The CAA recognises that there is a pressing need for a robust and sustainable policy framework in order that the aviation industry delivers the choice and value that UK aviation consumers demand whilst ensuring that local and global environmental challenges are met.
The CAA has committed to publish a series of three Insight Notes to build on this initial contribution:
Aviation Policy for Consumers is the first document in the series. It considers the issue of connectivity from the perspective of current and future consumers. In particular, it addresses the implications of forecast demand growth for the choice and value offered to UK consumers.
Aviation Policy for the Environment considers how UK aviation can grow without unacceptable environmental consequences in terms of climate change, noise and local air quality.
Aviation Policy for the Future considers a number of the challenges that will need to be addressed to ensure that the framework provides both a robust strategic platform for the successful delivery of investment, and the improvements to the UK aviation system required to meet the needs of aviation consumers and the UK economy.
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