Political opinion: Henry Smith MP champions aviation's role in UK trade in Commons debate

The Crawley MP, whose constituency includes Gatwick Airport, reiterated the salience of the sector to the wider British economy and the need for Government policy to further reflect this.

Commenting after the debate had concluded, Henry said: “As Crawley MP and Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Future of Aviation the importance of the aviation sector to our local and national economy is clear.

“It’s right that we continue to call on the Government to maintain and enhance its support for the sector, particularly with Gatwick Airport in our borough’s boundary.

“The British aviation industry is an asset and an important part of our economy. To help secure economic growth however we need policy in place to support the sector. This includes our exporters who rely on aviation for their continued success, and utilising the benefits and opportunities of going further and faster on decarbonising aviation to make the most of these economic gains.

“The UK needs to sell more high-value services in areas such as banking and architecture, in which we have a competitive advantage, to boost productivity and tax revenues and raise the trend rate of growth.

“I’ve continued to highlight the importance of Jet Zero – net zero aviation by 2050 – where Government and industry are working together to achieve this.

“I welcomed last week the Government’s sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) mandate with 10 per cent of all jet fuel set to go green by 2030, as well as proposals for a revenue certainty scheme which would look to guarantee revenue from SAF and provide new and existing producers and investors with the confidence to continue investing in the industry.

“There remains more to do, with changes needed to ensure domestic – or ‘black bin bag’ – waste as a viable feedstock or input into making SAF.”

Speaking during the debate in the House of Commons, Henry said: “I believe that aviation is a strategic enabler of the kind of export-led, high-growth economy that Members on both sides of the House want to see. Research being prepared by Manchester Airports Group and WPI Economics, of which I have been given advance sight, shows not only the potential for the UK to become a services sector superpower but the way in which we, as an island trading nation, are disproportionately reliant on aviation in comparison with similar economies.

“My argument this afternoon is that we should recognise that the UK aviation network—the third largest in the world—is a vital asset and a key component in the economy that we are seeking to build further, and that we therefore need the right kind of supportive policy environment to help it to flourish. That includes leaning into the benefits and opportunities on offer from decarbonising aviation for the sake of environmental protection, going faster and further than other countries precisely because of how much we have to gain economically from the sector, including the great British exporting businesses that rely on aviation for their own success.”

On sustainable aviation fuels, Henry said: “As the UK is disproportionately reliant on aviation to support growth, given its status as an island nation, we should lean into the economic benefits available from its decarbonisation, going further and faster than other countries. The key technology to decarbonise aviation in the medium term is SAF, or sustainable aviation fuels, which can reduce lifecycle emissions by 70 per cent in comparison with conventional jet fuel. The choice for this country is between importing SAF from other countries to decarbonise UK aviation and reach net zero by 2050 and investing in our own domestic sector, which provides a secure, home-grown supply of low-carbon jet fuel to build resilience into the economy and generate thousands of skilled jobs in the process. If we end up importing SAF, we will be at the mercy of volatile international energy markets and, in the event of global scarcity of supply, it will push up airfares, which in turn will push up the cost of doing business for precisely those companies identified in the research I referred to—companies that UK business needs to be travelling and exporting more to grow our economy.”

Concluding his speech, Henry said@ “The UK does not have to choose between growing our economy through international travel, or travelling less and protecting our environment. By innovating and being global leaders in new sustainable aviation fuels technology, we can increase our services and goods sectors, and be at the forefront of new green technologies. We have some iconic British brands that have already demonstrated this. Last November I experienced the first transatlantic flight to use 100 per cent sustainable aviation fuel when Virgin Atlantic, headquartered in my constituency, flew from London Heathrow to John F. Kennedy airport in New York, powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines using sustainable aviation fuels. I believe that we should be optimistic about our future economy and our environmental protection, with Britain a global leader in both.”

Please click here for the full text and video of Henry’s speech.