Think tank The Good Growth Foundation is calling on the UK Government to allow innovation take flight at regional airports such as Lydd Airport by fast tracking Special Use Airspace.
The Good Growth Foundation outlines in its new report A Golden Ticket for Government how one of UK’s regional airports, Lydd Airport, could be turned into a national model for the re-commercialisation of regional aviation by fast-tracking a Special Use Airspace designation. This could result in the airport becoming a Centre for Future Flight Innovation (CFFI) of international standing.
The foundation notes that regional airports are judged against a passenger model that was never built for them, while regulation blocks anything better. “We set out a better way forward. Granting Lydd Airport Special Use Airspace would fast-track its access to the third generation of flight, drones, autonomous systems and AI-enabled aviation, cutting years off the standard airspace approval process using powers the Government already has.”
The foundation commented in its report: “The UK’s growth story has a critical flaw: regional disparity continues to haunt its success. This includes our aviation industry, an industry with enormous potential to incubate future proof industries and propel good growth in the UK, but one where the balance remains top-heavy.
“While national airports get the limelight, the UK’s regional aviation network is fraying at the edges. Peripheral infrastructure that once anchored regional economies, from Doncaster Sheffield to Prestwick, is being left to wither. Unlocking the entirety of this industry could, however, reap enormous economic reward. Some of the most critical emerging sub-sectors could take flight here. Take drones, for example. If done correctly, the UK could become a world leader in a ‘third generation of flight’.”
The organisation says acting on the findings of the report could unlock over 1,000 jobs and £75 million in GVA a year, with a blueprint ready to roll out at regional airports nationwide. “This would keep regional airports open and turn them into the front line of the future of flight.”
