In an effort to relieve congestion, Tories would force regional and other short-haul passengers on to both domestic and European-bound, high-speed trains, impose new air travel taxes and impose a moratorium on airport expansion, according to a plan being worked on by a policy review group looking at quality of life issues. Its report will be published this month before the party conference, according to The London Times. The plan mirrors attempts in the U.S. to limit regional jet use already proposed by the FAA and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. It would also eliminate the need for a more Heathrow and Stansted runways, said the report. Related Story
“Short-haul flights would receive particular attention,” said the article, quoting the group as estimating that one-fifth of Heathrow flights would be impacted including flights to Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, Edinburgh, Manchester, Glasgow and Newcastle. “VAT would be levied on fuel for domestic flights for the first time and airlines would be forced to give over airport slots to long-haul trips. All flights would be subject to a separate per-flight tax based on the amount of CO2 generated, replacing the air passenger duty and shifting the burden from passengers to airlines, although this might force up ticket prices.” Original proposals, roundly rejected by airline and tourism officials, included restricting passengers to one roundtrip short-haul flight annually at the standard tax rate but increase the rate for subsequent short-haul trips.
The move comes as the London-Paris train times will be cut 20 minutes to just over two hours. The party wants to use green taxes to fund other policy changes and tax deductions in its platform.
Recently, the FAA took its attack on small jets public orchestrating stories in the Wall Street Journal and NBC Nightly News among many others. Related Story
Boyd Group President Michael Boyd has little patience with these attacks. “The stories vary, but generally they focus on how airlines are insisting on using them to make more money, and since they take up the same airspace as bigger airliners, that's an outrage,” he said in his latest report. “It's not a case of what the market demand will bear and support. There's a growing belief that, in light of all the delays, the use of jets under 100 seats must be limited and restricted. It's the Mantra of 2008. Force airlines to use bigger jets and fly 'em less frequently. Make consumers in Charleston, Lansing, Fresno, and other small and mid-size communities adjust to the fact that they have no right to the levels of air service their economies need.”
Boyd indicated calls for limiting regional jets may come to pass. “What this means is that some communities which today generate strong viable air transportation demand are in the crosshairs to lose some air service - maybe more than just some,” he said. “Already, we've seen Delta cut back Atlanta service at more than half a dozen small communities. Economics are the reason - regardless of, in some cases, high load factors. The congestion and delays caused by the ATC system raise the economic bar, and since the FAA isn't doing [anything] to substantively improve it, plan on airlines looking at doing more cutbacks in the coming months. But make no mistake. As it stands today, air service at small and mid-size airports will be tossed under the bus (or, is it under the RJ?) to adjust for the FAA's failures.”