Air consultation launched

Delays are targeted in the document

Airlines and airports are being urged to improve the way they treat passengers as the government launches an aviation consulation document.

The government is seeking views on the long-term future of UK domestic and international air travel.

At present about 160 million passengers pass through UK airports each year and this figure could rise as high as 461 million in 20 years' time.

On Monday Manchester Airport unveiled its controversial second runway and said it planned to overtake Gatwick as Britain's second busiest airport.

The consultation was launched by Transport Minister Gus Macdonald on Tuesday.

Some airports are close to capacity

He said: "Demand for air travel seems set to continue to grow. Our forecasts show that demand may almost double over the next 15 years.

"Yet some of our major airports are already close to the limits of their current capacity and expansion of airports almost always has significant environmental impacts.

"We need to ensure that we are getting the most from our aviation services and that the future of the aviation industry is a sustainable one - environmentally, economically and socially."

Lord Macdonald called on the industry to:

• provide fast, accurate information on delays
• speed up check-in and baggage reclaim systems
• develop strategies to avoid air-rage incidents
• improve facilities for disabled passengers.

He said aviation was "a very important industry" employing about 180,000 people in the UK and with a turnover of £10bn a year.

"We want it to compete vigorously with its international competitors but we've got to balance that growth with sustainability as far as the environment is concerned," Lord Macdonald said.

"There are some hard choices to be made here."

Environmental considerations form a key part of the consultation document.

Stephen Hardwick, from the British Airport Authority, which runs Heathrow, Gatwick and Stanstead said efforts were already being made to limit the impact of noise and air pollution and road congestion around the airports.

Aircraft engines cause pollution

"We work with airlines on air quality and encourage them to turn their engines off on the ground and use tow trucks to move (the aircraft) around the airport," he told BBC Radio 5 Live.

The Heathrow Express train service had cut road traffic to the west London airport, he added.

Responses to the consultation document will be taken into account when a white paper is drawn up, but this is not expected to be ready until 2002.

The government's aviation policy options have been limited because of the four-year public inquiry into the controversial plans by airport operator BAA to build a £2bn fifth terminal at Heathrow.

The inquiry finished in May 1999 and the inquiry inspector's report, complete with his recommendation, is soon to go to Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, who will make a final decision on whether the terminal goes ahead.

Branson urges review

BAA, airlines and big business are all convinced of the need for the extra terminal, but environmental groups, local councils and local residents are firmly against it.

Virgin boss Sir Richard Branson has called for a radical review of global aviation policy including the removal of restrictive ownership and operational regulations.

He said: "It is about time air transport was treated like the mature industry it so clearly is. What this means is removing the dead hand of government as much as possible.

"The role of government in the regulation of air transport should be limited to ensuring that competition is fair and safety is paramount, the same role adopted for most other industries."