UK unveils plan to boost aviation industry, passenger rights

Britain set out plans to bolster airlines and airports roiled by the coronavirus pandemic, while emphasizing that growth must be in line with steps to slash carbon emissions and promising a charter for traveler rights. The ten-point strategy revealed by the government Thursday lists ambitions including sustainable growth in both passengers and cargo and the addition of airport capacity where justified, while committing to net zero emissions from UK aviation by 2050 and improvements in the “customer experience.” The Flightpath to the Future plan also targets job creation and a skills upgrade to accommodate technologies resulting from the drive toward decarbonization, including drones, flying taxis and electric planes, and stresses that benefits must be spread across the country as part of a so-called leveling-up agenda. London Heathrow airport, Europe’s busiest prior to the pandemic, welcomed the proposals and opportunities for closer contact with ministers, while saying the government must “bring pace to the policies” in order to fulfill its ambitions. Airbus separately provided a boost for Britain’s aerospace manufacturing sector, saying it will open a hydrogen-technology center in the country to help develop a zero-emission plane by the middle of next decade. The government’s aviation roadmap is partly an attempt to restore relations with a sector that complained of being cut adrift during the pandemic, as state aid fell short of the support seen elsewhere despite some of the most stringent travel curbs anywhere. It’s also aimed at assuaging consumer concerns after thousands waited months for compensation when flights were canceled.<br/>