Until recently, planes were one of the regular sights in the skies in East Devon as holidaymakers set off in search of the sun and businesspeople attended meetings across the UK and Europe.
As I write this column, I note that only one flight is scheduled to land at Exeter Airport today. Whilst some may welcome this because of entirely legitimate concerns over climate change, we should all worry about the consequences of such an immediate and drastic drop in flights.
Everyone who flies to and from Exeter Airport is contributing to our local economy. Many of the jobs at Exeter Airport are highly skilled, retaining local talent and bringing investment to our area.
The positive knock-on effect of our airport is real. Hundreds of businesses choose to base themselves around or near the airport for the connectivity it provides, with many innovative businesses flourishing at the Exeter Science Park.
I raised my concerns about the impact of the pandemic on Exeter Airport with Boris Johnson during Prime Ministers questions on Wednesday 11th November.
The Prime Minister confirmed that the Department for Transport is looking at giving bespoke support to particular regional airports in order to keep them going in these tough times. I’ll continue to lobby for Exeter Airport at every opportunity.
I recognise that passengers need the confidence to fly without the risk of having to quarantine for two weeks when they return. I have raised the need for testing at airports and I’m glad work is being done to put this in place to help us fly safely.
Everyone recognises the need for a cleaner, greener aviation industry - but in order to achieve that, we need to protect the jobs and expertise at Exeter Airport that will be needed to meet that aim.
Later this month, Exeter Aerospace will open after creating one hundred highly skilled jobs locally. Coupled with Exeter College’s new engineering facility at the airport as well as the Skypark, it bodes well for a vibrant aviation sector in East Devon, not just an airport.
Whilst we focus during this pandemic on the here and now, we must continue to look to the future and keep East Devon as a great place to invest, live and work.
This column first appeared in the Exmouth Journal on Wednesday 18th November, Sidmouth Herald on Thursday 19th November and Midweek Herald on Friday 20th November 2020.