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. Growth in aviation is also likely to result in an increase in emissions that contribute to climate change. We therefore face many difficult issues associated with the growth of aviation. 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.
Aviation has an important role to play as part of our integrated transport strategy.
This consultation document is an important step in realising this. The responses we get to this document will help to shape our policy on the future of air travel. The consultation document invites ideas and views on a wide range of aviation and airports issues that underpin our air transport policy. Notes to editors 1. Lord Macdonald will be speaking this morning at a conference on The Future of Air Transport , organised by Professor David Begg, Director of the Centre for Transport Policy at The Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, and Chairman of the Commission for Integrated Transport.