{"id":78798,"date":"2017-02-09T12:14:38","date_gmt":"2017-02-09T12:14:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?guid=73aa94e5c87e37aa4fb0f1b889e366a8"},"modified":"2017-02-09T12:14:38","modified_gmt":"2017-02-09T12:14:38","slug":"speech-celebrating-the-aviation-ties-between-india-and-the-uk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?p=78798","title":{"rendered":"Speech: Celebrating the aviation ties between India and the UK"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Introduction<\/h2>\n

It\u2019s an honour to speak to the Indian aviation community today (8 February 2017).<\/p>\n

And I\u2019m grateful for your warm welcome.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve come to India as a representative of the British government, and with a clear purpose.<\/p>\n

To meet the Indian government, Indian airlines, and the aerospace industry, and in so doing to strengthen the ties between our countries.<\/p>\n

As the UK\u2019s Minister for Aviation, I have something of a natural advantage in achieving that purpose.<\/p>\n

Because what makes the aviation industry so special is that it is \u2013 by definition \u2013 an industry founded on international ties.<\/p>\n

On the links between distant places.<\/p>\n

On the common enterprise between peoples.<\/p>\n

And it\u2019s an industry with a goal: to bring those peoples together, for trade or for pleasure.<\/p>\n

There are few greater examples of this than the links aviation provides between India and the UK.<\/p>\n

British Airways has been flying to India for over 90 years.<\/p>\n

And when Air India established its first ever international route, in 1948, it was to London.<\/p>\n

Now three and a half million people travel between our two countries by air every year.<\/p>\n

More people fly from the UK to India than from almost any other country.<\/p>\n

And the 1.5-million-strong Indian diaspora in the UK \u2013 of which I count myself a member \u2013 is kept in contact with friends and family half a world away by the unceasing passage of Indian and UK airliners between our airports.<\/p>\n

Era of expansion<\/h2>\n

There are also great parallels between our respective industries.<\/p>\n

Both have begun a new era of expansion.<\/p>\n

It is a thrill for me come to this country at the most exciting time in Indian aviation history.<\/p>\n

To see for myself its rate of growth and global reach.<\/p>\n

The number of Indian airlines has more than doubled in 10 years.<\/p>\n

Last month, the aviation market in this country hit 13 consecutive months of passenger growth.<\/p>\n

And you are on track by 2030 to become the largest aviation market in the world.<\/p>\n

In the UK, too, aviation is growing, and set to grow much further still.<\/p>\n

Each record year of passenger numbers is broken by the next.<\/p>\n

New routes to new destinations are added almost every month.<\/p>\n

Heathrow<\/h2>\n

And in October we took a long overdue decision – to support the construction of a third runway at Heathrow airport<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Those of you who have flown to Heathrow \u2013 perhaps even flown there in the pilot\u2019s seat \u2013 will know how busy that airport is.<\/p>\n

In fact, it is the busiest two-runway airport anywhere on earth.<\/p>\n

Heathrow\u2019s popularity helps make the UK the best connected country in Europe.<\/p>\n

But for many years the airport has been operating at full capacity.<\/p>\n

Without action, space for flights to and from new destinations \u2013 including India \u2013 will be severely constrained.<\/p>\n

So our recommendation is that Heathrow be allowed to construct a world-class new runway, and the planning process is already underway.<\/p>\n

An expanded Heathrow would make possible an extra 260,000 aircraft movements a year, or 16 million additional long-haul seats.<\/p>\n

And it would compete against hubs such as Amsterdam, Paris and Frankfurt.<\/p>\n

Aviation strategy<\/h2>\n

This decision is important enough that it justifies a fresh examination of how the government works with the aviation sector.<\/p>\n

So over the next 2 years, we are going to draw up a new aviation strategy.<\/p>\n

It will determine how the government can support the industry\u2019s continued future success.<\/p>\n

We are exploring:<\/p>\n