Written question asked by Lord Bellingham (Conservative) on Tuesday, 1 July 2003, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 9 July 2003. It was answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern (Labour) on Wednesday, 9 July 2003 on behalf of the Department of Trade and Industry.

Dept of Trade and Industry

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what her policy is on supersonic aviation.

Answer: Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what her policy is on supersonic aviation. [123544] Jacqui Smith: Airlines will determine what level of demand there may be for supersonic travel. British Airways has taken the view that their existing fleet of Concorde need to be retired after almost 30 years of service. For the longer term, if sufficient demand is forecast for supersonic travel, I am sure airlines will work closely with aircraft manufacturers to understand the particular environmental, technical and cost challenges of developing and operating a new generation of supersonic passenger aircraft.

Secondary information