Researchers Call for Enquiry into Airport Expansion

Aviation researchers have called for an independent inquiry into the effect of airport expansion, saying too much fundamental data is disputed.

The Sustainable Development Commission (SDC) and the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) have urged UK ministers to halt airport expansions until the true costs and benefits of the proposed increase in flying are properly understood.

The government says it has serious objections to the report's findings, with the Department for Transport rejecting the notion that a further three-year debate, as requested by the SDC and IPPR, would serve any useful purpose, the BBC reports.

Areas of dispute include the economic benefits of aviation, the impact of gas emissions and the role of technology, which experts warn cannot keep up with increases in demand.

The SDC/IPPR report says the uncertainty has eroded people's confidence in government policy.

"Clashing government priorities across different departments and agencies - including promoting economic growth, meeting future travel needs, protecting the environment, addressing climate change, and ensuring the health and well-being of communities - are contributing to a lack of coherence across government," it says.

By Elizabeth Clifford-Marsh