Tuesday 10th July 07

The Government’s intention to encourage the expansion of the UK’s airports, including Shoreham and Gatwick, has been well documented and stirred up no end of protest from diverse groups campaigning on climate change, noise, pollution, the preservation of local towns and economies. We seldom hear the business case against expansion.
Errm, that’s right – not everyone agrees that the aviation industry’s sums add up or that claims about creating jobs hold up to scrutiny. Meanwhile, while our attention is on ‘cheap frills’ to the continent, the air freight industry is growing faster than you can say “I’ll take a bunch of your finest Peruvian asparagus please”, turning jumbos into giant flying refrigerators and carriers of essential goods, like gold and pianos. Is this really what we want?

Rose Bridger Food Systems Consultant: Rose has been researching and campaigning for several years, specialising in public sector food procurement, supply chain management, developing local supply chains and community action. She will be drawing on her work, including her recent paper ‘The Chill Chain in the Sky: Aviation’s Fastest Growing Sector’. It places the spotlight on an issue that has rarely been reported on or presented to the public, so we are fortunate to have this opportunity. Rose challenges the myths around food air freight, including that it is direct, demand-driven and brings widespread trade and development gains to poorer countries.

Rose says “The rise of food air freight has slipped under the radar and infrastructure development for phenomenal expansion is underway. Temperature controlled goods, mainly food and flowers, is the biggest and fastest growing air cargo sector, and key to aviation expansion plans. Many countries with widespread malnutrition are developing export zones for food and flowers on some of the best crop land, aligned with new and expanding airports. Return flights are often loaded with equipment for the export chain, and the export flights often criss-cross with inbound planes loaded with poor quality food aid.”

John Stewart Chair, Airport Watch , UK Noise Association and Transport 2000: John is one of the leading spokespersons on the impact of aviation, well known as a campaigner for 25 years on transport and the environment. He is widely respected for his work for the above organisations, HACAN Clear Skies and a myriad community groups across the country, his contribution to several important reports and for his engagement with the machinery of policy making. His alternative analysis of the economics of aviation is compelling, arguing that in fact restricting aviation is of benefit to the economy.

John calculates that aviation tourism alone creates a deficit of at least £15bn pa to the economy, while demonstrating that aviation expansion obstructs much needed investment in other transport infrastructure that is demanded by business and and required for regeneration. Others have suggested that British taxpayers subsidise the industry to the tune of more than £200 pa each, for the benefit of those in higher income brackets.

John says “The so-called success of aviation is built upon some of the most generous tax-breaks ever given to any industry in history. Cheap flights are costing us the earth; if the Government is serious about climate change, it’s got to get serious about tackling aviation.”