Robert Courts, the Aviation Minister, has just launched Flightpath to the Future, a 10-point strategy to rebuild consumer confidence, build back sustainably from the pandemic, support jobs across the country and build a skilled and diverse workforce that’s fit for the future. The strategy includes drones in the ‘Embracing Innovation for a Sustainable Future’ section.
The delivery of the new 10-point plan will be supported by an all-new Aviation Council made up of airlines, airports and wider representatives from the aviation sector, as well as ministers and officials from both the UK government and devolved administrations. The council will work to use the lessons learned from the pandemic to support recovery and make air travel better for passengers and better for the planet.
Point 5 from Flightpath to the Future:
“Capture the potential of new technology and its uses – benefitting from new regulatory freedoms outside the EU, we will be one of the first countries in the world to routinely use new aircraft to provide new and improved low carbon services, and local and regional air mobility for goods and people. This will include aircraft such as drones and electrical vertical take-off and landing aircraft.
“This will be achieved through providing additional funding to CAA to scale up support to innovators and setting up a Future of Flight Industry Group to work with industry and the CAA to develop, publish and implement a plan for Future of Flight. The plan will include delivery of the necessary regulatory framework for aviation innovation to thrive. We will also support the sector in delivering the Airspace Modernisation Strategy to achieve quicker, quieter, and cleaner flights. The strategy will also ensure that all new and current airspace users can operate and coexist safely in UK airspace.”
Richard Moriarty, Chief Executive of the UK Civil Aviation Authority, said:
As aviation recovers, we share government’s ambitions for the sector to build back to become cleaner, greener, more innovative and to continue prioritising safety and delivering for its consumers.
The established and emerging aviation and aerospace sectors and their stakeholders will need to work together to deliver this and I’m looking forward to the Civil Aviation Authority being part of that collective effort.
26 May 2022