* * * * An Important Conference Announcement * * * *
RGS-IBG Environment and Society Forum in collaboration with the TGRG
Policy Directions in UK Air Transport: The Next Ten Years
At the RGS-IBG, I Kensington Gore, London SW7 2AR
Wednesday 14 March 2001
CONTRIBUTORS INCLUDE:
Chairman: Doug Andrew, CAA
Predicting demand John Adams, UCL
Air transport growth: the macro economic viewpoint Tony Grayling, IPPR
Airport capacity and congestion: the South-east Richard Everitt, BAA
Regional airports and regional development Ian Humphreys,
Loughborough University
The airline perspective I: BA Paul Ellis, BA
The low cost carriers: What do they want? Tim Jeans, Ryanair
Air transport and the environmental lobby groups Tim Johnson, AEF
Sustainable air transport Callum Thomas, CSAT
Prioritising the issues: towards a policy agenda Brian Graham,
University of Ulster
THE FOCUS
Against a background of incompatible policies, competing priorities and
spatial variations, this conference will explore the conflicts of interest,
which must inevitably define current policy and practice relating to UK air
transport. Any effective policy must reconcile several divergent national
priorities as well as the conflicting interests of the various stakeholders
in the air transport industry. The conference will include speakers from
the air transport world, who bring their own not necessarily easily
reconciled perspectives to the industry, with representatives of government,
the environmental lobby and the academic world.
Key issues include:
* Predicting the aggregate demand for air travel and its
geographical distribution
* Congestion and the shortage of airport capacity in South-east
England
* The rapid growth of low-cost carriers and their use of spare
capacity in the South-east while creating additional
mobility through pricing mechanisms
* The privatisation of UK air traffic control and its repercussions
for airspace capacity
* The role of regional airports in a national airports policy
* The escalating fears concerning the environmental impact of air
transport
* Improving surface access at airports and their integration into
national public transport systems
THE TIMING
All these issues have a particular resonance for UK air transport in
the wake of the 1998 Transport White Paper, A New Deal for Transport.
Although nothing can be finalised until the decision is made concerning
planning permission for the fifth terminal at London Heathrow, probably in
2001, the UK Government is currently preparing a UK national air transport
policy. This involves a comprehensive review of many aspects of the
country's aviation system, including a highly detailed review of regional
airports and air services and a South-east consultation document; six
individual documents relating to air transport in the regions will be
available early in 2001. In addition, in December 2000, DETR published The
Future of Aviation, the Government's consultation document on air transport
policy. The culmination of these studies and public consultations will be
an Air Transport White Paper, planned for 2002. Consequently, the conference
will take place during an unprecedented period of research and public debate
concerning the UK's air transport industry and the future policies that will
direct its operations during the next two decades. In particular, the
conference has been planned to coincide with the period of discussion set
aside for The Future of Aviation, the deadline for responses to this being
12 April 2001.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
Practitioners and policy makers (including regulators)
* The travel industry
* Planners
* Researchers, students and teachers
* Representatives from central and local government
* Ngos, campaigners and charities with an interest in the
environment/social issues
* Other associated industry professionals
COST (to include lunch)
Forty pounds plus VAT for academics, or non-profit making organisations
fifteen pounds plus VAT for post-graduate students
£8 inc VAT for undergraduates (no lunch)
all others £60 plus VAT.
HOW TO BOOK: Telephone Alison Glazebrook on tel. 0207 591 3006 to register,
or to receive full details. Alternatively, email [log in to unmask] full
programme and registration form.
