The government’s approach to aviation emissions over plans to expand Bristol Airport has been questioned in Parliament.
Liberal Democrat MP for Bath, Wera Hobhouse, voiced strong concerns over the government’s commitment to sustainable aviation, particularly in relation to the expansion of Bristol Airport.
The plan includes expanding passenger capacity from the current limit of 12 million to 15 million annually by 2036, which would increase aircraft movements from 85,990 to 100,000 per year. This expansion is intended to offer more destinations, including direct flights to the east coast of America and the Middle East, enhancing convenience for local travellers and reducing the need to use London airports.
“Before the Minister asks me where I was during the sustainable aviation fuels debate, I was here,” she stated. “Having 22% SAF by 2040 still means 78% fossil fuels in aircraft fuel—an awful lot. My constituents are impacted by Bristol airport expansion. I meet regularly with my local group Stop Bristol Airport Expansion group. They want to know what impact assessment has been made of the cumulative effect of the additional carbon emissions that will be created by all the proposed airport expansion plans taken together.”
In response, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport, Mike Kane, acknowledged the challenges in decarbonising aviation while defending the government’s investments in cleaner technology.
“I thank the hon. Member. She is actually right, and well done to her for being there during the SAF debate and supporting the Government,” Mr Kane said.
“At the moment, the technology does not exist to fully decarbonise aviation. We are looking at hydrogen, we have the advanced fuels fund and we are investing £1 billion in the ATI, but, as the Prime Minister announced recently when he went to Merseyside, we are investing billions in carbon capture and other technology to offset those emissions. That is what we will have to do in the near future, but I envisage a day when we will have aircraft in our skies, particularly internally in the UK, with zero emissions coming out of their tailpipes.”