Aiken's aviation amendment motion

SOUTH Antrim UUP MLA Steve Aiken has spoken about the importance of the aviation industry.

Aiken, who is the Chair of the All Party Group in on Aerospace, put forward an amendment motion in Stormont, which ‘seeks to enhance the motion by focusing in three key areas of what should be in an aviation strategy for Northern Ireland’.

He said: “It is also worth noting that at the moment we are at a considerable disadvantage compared to our friends down South.

“As members will be aware, the Republic of Ireland has so far benefited from a long term tourism VAT rate of 9%, recently raised to 13.9%, but which is highly likely to go back down to 9% next year.

“In contrast we are saddled with a VAT rate of 20%, and, in addition, an APD tax of £13 per person.

“Furthermore, Dublin Airport, is heavily subsidised by the Irish State, with as some in the industry would say, sweeteners, for long haul aviation to use that airport, and their government has also underwritten the costs of the new runway at the Airport.

“All these issues, combined together, add to what is a considerable state aid advantage to the Southern Airport; an advantage that should run counter to the trade diversion rules within the NI Protocol[1], but regrettably, so far neither the Minister of Economy, nor the Secretary of State, have sought mitigations of this obvious distortion to the EU/UK Joint committee.

“So then, what can we do to at least establish a level aviation playing field on this Island?

“Our Minister provides approximately a third of Tourism’s Ireland budget. Globally they market Dublin as the ‘gateway’ to Ireland. In consequence much of the inward tourism and business market flows through this airport.

“This needs to stop, we pay a third of the bill, so therefore our airports must be promoted at least a 1/3 of the time. Many Airlines would find the available ramp space, 24hr availability, secure fuel supplies, all weather options with East West and North South runways, good UK connections, at Belfast International and an expanded Belfast City attractive, but they find it puzzling that the only marketing by Tourism Ireland and Ministers at aviation industry events is focused wholly on Dublin Airport.

“That needs to cease.

“Secondly the revolution in the aviation industry is in long range narrow bodied aircraft, like the Airbus 321 XLR, with ranges of up to 4,700 miles, with 244 seats, allowing Airlines to serve point to point routes at much reduced cost.

“Airbus 321 XLR or similar Boeing aircraft from Belfast can easily serve most of North America and indeed reach well into the existing Middle Eastern hubs. Based on traffic numbers that already exists, there is more than enough business and tourist traffic to support these flights from Northern Ireland.

“It also won’t have escaped the majority of members that both Airbus and, hopefully, Boeing will soon be major stakeholders in our own considerable aerospace manufacturing sector.

“At the moment, our passengers either fly via Heathrow or make the 2 hr journey down the motorway, spend 1 hr trying to park the car, wait for a bus, stand in the airline queue for 1 hrs, then 30 mins for security and then stand for 2.5 hrs waiting in preclearance – making a 7 hr journey, before we start our 7 hr journey.

“There has to be better options.

“Mr Speaker, with the UK’s improved relationship with the United States, particularly now with the ever chilling relations between the EU in general, and Dublin in particular, with Washington, it would now be advantageous for a US Pre-customs Clearance to be facilitated at Belfast International.

“With the high level of data and security information sharing between the UK and USA, the easing of restrictions between us, in comparison with the EU, it now makes strong sense to be calling for a US Pre-customs clearance facility here.

“Indeed, with the ever growing anti-Americanism within the Republic, moving the Shannon facility, or even the Dublin one, to Belfast would be an easy option for the US Administration.

“Our Executive should be calling loudly for this facility. It would then enable Belfast International to become the Narrow Body transfer hub for both trans-Atlantic routes and the Middle East, with significant opportunity to build inward tourism and business as well.

“Creating this hub, given the NI Executives support in achieving the Pre-customs Clearance could be done at very low cost; with the Airport owners taking on the costs of enhancing the airport.

“Both the City and Belfast International could also become a centre for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), and the Department of Economy and DERA could bid for ‘green energy’ credits from our national government; these could be used to offset our 2050 carbon obligations, and if it was properly marketed, Belfast could become the SAF hub for transatlantic aviation, for both general and private aviation. SAF can achieve up to 70% on Green House Gas Emission on conventional aviation fuel and it would definitely put us on the cutting edge of helping to reach zero net carbon.

“Our Airports, especially Aldergrove, are also geographically well placed as logistics hubs. With the current global uncertainty only growing, the secure runaways, large fuel stocks and location on the West of Europe, in the United Kingdom, and unlike the Irish Republic, within NATO’s secure airspace, means that we should be expanding our role, particularly with the United States.

“Using the large amount of ramp space, both on the civilian and military sides of the airfield, and proactively marketing it as a secure cargo transhipment space, would pay considerable dividends.

This chamber has debated many times about improving access from the Airport by improved road and rail links, but by using the site to build additional warehousing and add to the ramp space and hardstanding, we could attract much more cargo activity.

“As some of our members are fond of saving, the ‘unique’ access of the Windsor Framework, coupled with the UK’s advantageous trading relationship with the United States, should be helping expand the scope of our aviation strategy considerably.

I commend our amendment to the house”