Written question asked by Lord Maude of Horsham (Conservative) on Friday, 24 October 2003, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 4 November 2003. It was answered by Kim Howells (Labour) on Tuesday, 4 November 2003 on behalf of the Department for Transport.

Dept for Transport

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 11th September 2003, Official Report, 410 c373 W, on air travel, what estimate has been made of the percentage change in the cost of air travel from 2000 to 2030, if no new runways were to be built in the UK. - Includes figures.

Answer: Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 11 September 2003, Official Report, column 373W, on air travel, what estimate has been made of the percentage change in the cost of air travel from 2000 to 2030, if no new runways were to be built in the UK. [135218] Dr. Howells: The mid point forecasts in the consultation document: The Future Development of Air Transport in the United Kingdom-South East, assumed an underlying trend reduction in air fares of 1 per cent. per annum. In addition to this, if no new runways were built in the South East, passengers at Heathrow would pay a fare premium of £67.50 on a single journey in 2030. This fare premium would be higher if airport capacity outside the South East was also constrained, but no estimate has been made of this. The combined effect of these two factors would be an 18 per cent. increase in the cost of air travel in this case.

Secondary information