NEWS RELEASE - Tuesday 12th November 2002

'Airport Watch' challenge to Scottish Executive to end "predict and provide" agenda on air transport

The environmental problems of Scotland's spiralling air traffic growth will be aired at the Scottish Executive's national conference in Edinburgh today (Tuesday 12th November) addressed by Deputy Transport Minister Lewis Macdonald. Jeff Gazzard, National Coordinator of Airport Watch, the UK's sustainable aviation campaign, will challenge government to end its unquestioning "predict and provide" attitude to air traffic growth.

Jeff Gazzard, National Director of Airport Watch, said:
"Air transport is widely recognised as the single most environmentally damaging mode of transport - respected bodies such as the Royal Commission for Environmental Pollution have acknowledged this for years (1). The Scottish Executive must take on board the social and environmental ramifications of uncontrolled expansion in air travel in its considerations of Scottish air transport policy."

Colin Howden, TRANSform Scotland Campaign Manager, said: "The Scottish Executive have done their best to exclude any discussion of environmental issues from their flawed consultation process. 'Predict and provide' is no longer accepted as a basis for planning for road transport yet air transport, the most polluting, most energy-intensive mode of transport, is allowed to retain this privileged position."

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

[1] The Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution said in its 1994 report that: "An unquestioning attitude towards future growth in air travel, and an acceptance that the projected demand for additional facilities and services must be met, are incompatible with the aim of sustainable developmentÉ" and that "The demand for air travel might not be growing at the present rate if airlines and their customers had to face the costs of the damage they are causing to the environment".

[2] See Airport Watch's website http://www.airportwatch.org.uk for more information on the social and environmental consequences of air transport growth.