‘The Coalition [government] believes that a modern transport infrastructure – which emphatically includes aviation - is essential for a dynamic economy as well as to improve our well-being and quality of life. But we also believe that transport needs to be greener and more sustainable...’
The document is a valiant attempt to find a context within which to develop aviation policy but the dilemma between ensuring ‘a dynamic economy’ and being ‘be greener and more sustainable’ is a major difficulty for the government.
A question that is asked within the consultation is:
‘What do you consider to be the aviation sector’s most important contributions to economic growth and social well-being?’
The answer I provided will not be liked within an industry that is slow to understand the strategic implications:
‘A narrow focus on aviation emphasises its current role in the economy. This question is an invitation to the industry to offer a defence of the status quo. From within the aviation industry, it should be expected that a strong argument emerges emphasising the ‘need’ for continued expansion. This has parallels with the power companies trying to defend their right to sell more power. It is now accepted policy that power companies are expected to encourage reductions in demand and make profits from selling less. Aviation is similar in that the obvious sustainable solution in the near-term is to reconfigure the economy to be less reliant on aviation and for the industry to make a profit from a highly efficient reduced capacity flight network.’
Photo by Jim Donahue
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