Introduction

Flying Matters was formed in June 2007^[1] to represent 'a broad coalition of all those interested in supporting sustainable growth in aviation including the business community, trade unions, tourism bodies and a wide range of air transport users, in addition to the aviation industry (airlines, airports, aerospace manufacturers and air traffic control)'. Members include British Airways, British Airports Authority, Boeing, DHL, Federation of Tour Operators, GMB Union, First Choice, Thompson and Virgin Atlantic.^[2]

To date activities have included issuing briefings, press releases and commissioning advertisements and opinion polls. They have also attended party conferences and written privately to MPs. Their chair is Brian Wilson, (Labour MP until 2005 and Energy Minister from 2001 until 2003). Australian advisors, Crosby|Textor highlight their skills at "Managing relations with the Prime Minister, Ministers, Shadow Ministers" ^[3].

Staff

• Brian Wilson, Chair^[4]
• Michelle Di Leo, Director^[5]
• David Lewy, Campaign Officer^[6]

Brian Wilson, Chair, is a non-executive director of AMEC Nuclear Holdings Limited, of AFC Energy (Fuel Cells) and is also chairman of the UK Operations Board of Airtricity (Wind Farms). He was a Labour Party member of parliament from 1987 to 2005 and Energy Minister at the Department for Trade and Industry from 2001 to 2003.

Michelle Di Leo, Director, is an experienced public affairs practitioner, who was until recently a partner in FD-LLM a strategic communications consultancy specialising 'in public affairs advice to major companies, trade associations, public and voluntary sector'^[7]. She previously worked for the Airport Operators Association^[8] and on the 'Freedom To Fly' campaign in the lead up to the Aviation White Paper^[9]. She has also worked for the British Lung Foundation

Flying Matters are advised by Crosby|Textor who claim that 'their in-depth understanding of the processes of government and network of contacts across the political spectrum allow them to provide top-level strategic guidance on the machinations of government, the personalities and the politics behind the politics relevant to achieving their client's corporate objectives'... and that they are skilled in 'Managing relations with the Prime Minister, Ministers, Shadow Ministers and Premiers'^[10]

Their web site was developed by Unite Form^[11]

Issues

The following core issues have been identify by Flying Matters in a number of briefing and press releases issued since August 2007

Aviation and Climate Change

Summary of briefing: Aviation and Climate Change^[12]

• UK aviation is only responsible for 0.1% of global climate change emissions
• IPCC calculates that global emissions from aviation will rise to 3% by 2050
• Domestic aviation is responsible for 0.4% of UK transport emissions
• If International aviation emissions where included in UK total emissions it would be 5.9% (2005)
• If a radiative forcing index of 2 is used then this total rises to 13% (2005)
• Figures from non-aviation sources do not include radiative forcing
• It is premature to include radiative forcing in emissions trading scheme
• Recent IPCC reports have included specific cautions about using a multiplier to calculate radiative forcing
• Until an accurate radiative forcing index can be established a mid-value figure should be used

Summary of press release: Climate Change Bill announcement: Only global solutions will be effective for aviation (October 2007)^[13]

• "We’re pleased that Hilary Benn shares our desire to see aviation included in the European Emissions Trading scheme as soon as possible" Michelle Di Leo
• "Including aviation within the UK targets will only work if there is full international agreement" Michelle Di Leo

Aviation and Tourism

Summary of briefing: Aviation and Tourism^[14]

• Tourism constitutes 4% of the UK economy
• Tourism generates around 170,000 jobs in the UK
• Nearly three quarters of international visitors arrive by air
• The government has set a target of growing tourism by a third by 2010
• There is a deficit between what visitors spend here and what UK tourists spend overseas
• Studies by bodies such as Visit Britain show that not increasing air transport capacity would make deficit worse

Summary of press release: Families will be priced out of air travel if Heathrow fails to expand (November 2007)^[15]

• "The vast majority of people recognise the case for a sustainable growth in aviation such as that envisaged by the Stern Report" Brian Wilson
• "Expansion is vitally important to the millions of families who rely on affordable air transport to visit friends and family abroad or who go on holiday occasionally" Brian Wilson
• "Some families face the prospect in future years of being priced out of flying all together" Brian Wilson

Aviation and the UK Economy

Summary of briefing: Aviation and the UK economy^[16]

• Aviation contributes more than £11 billion to the UK economy
• Aviation directly and indirectly supports more than 700,000 jobs
• A quarter of companies reported that access to air services is an important factor
• London’s successful cluster of international financial services is heavily reliant on aviation

Summary of press release: Stopping new runways would cost half a million new UK jobs (December 2007)^[17]

• The vast majority of people accept a sustainable growth in aviation
• Growth in international visitors who each spend on average £490 expected to generate half a million jobs by 2030
• "The rate of growth in international visitors is growing fast and the UK is set to be one of the main beneficiaries" Brian Wilson
• "If the UK does not have the infrastructure to accommodate this growth, tourists will not stop flying they will simply fly" Brian Wilson
• Heathrow will be completely full by next year
• International visitors to the UK from around the world are set to more than double by 2030

Aviation and Trade with the Developing World

Summary of briefing: Aviation and trade with the developing world^[18]

• UK represents 70 per cent of the market for the green beans that Kenya grow
• A large proportion of goods which are air freighted travel in the holds of passenger aircraft
• Only 5 per cent of food in the UK arrives by air

Summary of press release: Soil Association should not undermine its objectives by potentially damaging producers in the developing world (October 2007)"^[19]

• "I’m pleased that the Soil Association have seen sense and decided against removing organic status from air freighted food" Brian Wilson
• "Unless teleportation becomes viable in the next few years there is no other alternative for them to get their fresh produce to market in good time" Brian Wilson
• "What’s not science fiction is the actual improvement in the fuel efficiency of new aircraft coming into service over the next few years" Brian Wilson

Aviation and People

Summary of briefing: Aviation and People^[20]

• Most people in the UK have flown at least once
• 50 per cent of people in the UK travelled at least once by air in 2006
• 74 per cent had travelled by air in the previous five years
• The growth in aviation has been about 5 per cent every year since the 1970s
• Demand does appear quite sensitive to price
• The personal and social benefits of travel and holidays abroad are highly valued by families
• Policies which price people out of flying would be regressive as the less well of would be priced out
• Policies which prevent growth in aviation will have a disproportionate impact on UK ethnic minority communities
• Emissions have to have at their core a commitment to being equitable in their impact

Aviation Policy and Conservative Voting Intentions

Summary of press release: Voters in key marginals shun Conservative proposals for higher taxes on air travel (September 2007)^[21]

• Conservative proposals for higher taxes on air travel are deeply unpopular with voters in 30 most marginal seats
• An overwhelming 66 per cent of Conservative voters said it was wrong to target flyin
• "These figures confirm the danger for any political party which rushes into ill-considered action to stop people flying" Brian Wilson
• "I would not envy David Cameron's task of trying to persuade 60 per cent of Tory voters that they should feel guilty about getting on a plane" Brian Wilson

Summary of press release: 'Green' holiday tax plan puts Conservatives 6 per cent behind Labour in 30 most important marginals in the Country(September 2007)^[22]

• A new poll reveals the potential impact of Conservative proposals to increase taxes on family holidays on their performance at the next Election
• The poll also found that Conservative proposals to raise taxes on air travel were hugely unpopular with these voters:
• 76 per cent of ‘soft ‘ voters (those who have not made their mind up who to vote for yet) said they should be free to travel by air as much as they like
• "These figures confirm the danger for any political party which rushes into ill-considered action to stop people flying" Brian Wilson

Activities

December 2007

Press release: Stopping new runways would cost half a million new UK jobs^[23]

Press story: Private Eye report on a Flying Matters funded meeting at the Labour Party Conference by the Smith Institute^[24]

Plane Stupid publish copy of a letter sent to MPs lobbying on Climate Change Bill ^[25]

November 2007

Press release: Families will be priced out of air travel if Heathrow fails to expand^[26]

Flying Matters and Plane Stupid try to find out about each other^{[27] [28]}

October 2007

Press release: Soil Association should not undermine its objectives by potentially damaging producers in the developing world with unrealistic demands^[29]

Press release: Stop Stansted Expansion:“not opposed to any further expansion” of airport - FlyingMatters welcomes move by SSE^[30]

Press release: Response to DEFRA Climate Change Bill announcement: Only global solutions will be effective for aviation^[31]

Press story: Michelle Di Leo quoted in The Times "Plane Stupid's actions impact most on those they profess to be protecting: families who holiday once a year, ethnic minorities and farmers in the developing world' ^[32]. Plane Stupid publish response ^[33]

September 2007

Press release: Voters in key marginals shun Conservative proposals for higher taxes on air travel^[34]

Press release: 'Green' holiday tax plan puts Conservatives 6 per cent behind Labour in 30 most important marginals in the Country^[35]

Press release: US, China and India bear most responsibility for climate change according to new poll^[36]

Attend Liberal Democrat Party Conference^[37]

Press story: Stansted chosen for campaign to dispel some of the 'myths' surrounding the link between aviation and climate change^[38]

August 2007

Briefing: Aviation and Climate Change^[39]

Briefing: Aviation and Tourism^[40]

Briefing: Aviation and the UK economy^[41]

Briefing: Aviation and trade with the developing world^[42]

Briefing: Aviation and People^[43]

Article in Observer by Brian Wilson: Face the facts. The future must be nuclear^[44]

July 2007

Commissions adverts featuring "No Entry" signs slapped over the Taj Mahal and Sydney Opera House^{[45] [46]}

Flying Matters accuse Eskimo of 'apocalyptic green spin' in row over Stansted expansion^[47]

June 2007

The organisation is formed^{[48] [49]}

Members and supporters

Travel Agents

• ABTA - The Travel Association
• Association of Corporate Travel Executives
• Federation of Tour Operators
• First Choice
• MyTravel
• Opodo - let the Journey Begin
• Scottish Passenger Agents' Association
• Tourism Alliance
• Thomas Cook
• Thomsonfly
• Visit London(supporter)
• Visit Britain(supporter)
• XL - Your holiday starts here

Airlines

• British Airways
• Easyjet
• Flybe
• Monarch
• Virgin Atlantic

• Farmers Own
• Fresh Produce Consortium

Professional Associations

• Airport Operators Association
• Air Transport Users Council
• British Air Transport Association
• The British Business and General Aviation Association
• The Board of Airline Representatives in the UK
• CBI (supporter)
• GBM
• Transport and General Workers Union
• Unite - The Union

Suppliers and Service Providers

• Airbus
• BAA
• Boeing
• DHL
• Quinetiq - international defence and security company(supporter)
• Macquarie Group
• Manchester Airport
• Nats A World Leader in air traffic management
• Rolls-Royce
• Society of British Aerospace companies

^[50]

References