Commenting on today’s Budget, Karen Dee, Chief Executive of the Airport Operators Association said:
“We would have liked to have seen moves to allow airports to establish duty-free shopping stores for arriving passengers.
“UK Airports are still operating at a competitive disadvantage to their European counterparts, where most of the spending on duty-free allowances currently takes place.
“The Government should follow the lead of countries like Norway and Switzerland, where airports have been able to provide opportunities for arriving passengers to take advantage of duty-free shopping.
“It is also disappointing that no additional support for airspace modernisation and Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) was announced by the Chancellor.
“Recovering from the effects of the pandemic and reducing the sector’s carbon emissions are the two key challenges facing aviation.
“Both projects would provide enormous economic and environmental benefits, with airspace modernisation allowing for more efficient routes and reduced stacking, while establishing the UK as a world leader in SAF would lead to the creation of over 20,000 jobs and almost £3 billion in gross value added to the economy.
“We are pleased, however, that the Government has acted to change pension allowances, something the AOA called for in its Budget submission, to help relieve the recruitment and retention challenge facing the aviation sector.
“These measures will help attract people who left the jobs market due to the pandemic back to careers in critical roles at airports like in the fire and rescue services, air traffic control and air traffic engineering.”
