Written question asked by Richard Holden (Conservative) on Tuesday, 2 June 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 4 June 2026. It was answered by Keir Mather (Labour) on Monday, 15 June 2026 on behalf of the Department for Transport.
Air Routes: Public Service Obligations
- Question
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To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 27 May 2026 to Question 2101, what her Department's policy is on the targeting of Public Service Obligations for domestic air routes; and what specific criteria are used to determine whether there is a clear case for a route to receive PSO funding.
- Answer
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This government is committed to ensuring that domestic aviation thrives. The Department for Transport guidance on Public Service Obligations (PSOs) sets out that air services can be supported where a clear public interest case can be made and where no viable commercial alternative exists. This guidance is available here:
Decisions on PSO designation are subject to robust assessment against statutory criteria and value for money considerations, and typically require close collaboration between local authorities, airport operators, and the Department for Transport..
The government currently supports connectivity across the union through joint funding of two PSO routes into London from Dundee and Derry.
Secondary information
- Type
- Written question
- Reference
- 6200
- Session
- 2026-27
- Related items
- Subjects
- Air routes Finance Public service obligations
- Link
- View this Written question on www.parliament.uk
Librarians' tools
- Timestamp
- 2026-06-29 16:54:34 +0100
- URI
- http://data.parliament.uk/writtenparliamentaryquestion/commons/2026-27/6200
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