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Good evening, everyone, and thank you Karen for inviting me tonight (18 March 2025).聽

I know better than to stand between people and their dinner, so rest assured I will keep my remarks brief.

And despite this being my second aviation speech in less than a month, you鈥檒l be glad to know I haven鈥檛 run out of things to say.聽I haven鈥檛 even exhausted my best material about feedstocks and revenue certainty mechanisms 鈥� so brace yourselves.

But, seriously, it really is a pleasure to be here.聽I hope you feel, as I do, that these are exciting times for your sector, with much to focus on in 2025 and beyond.

But let me start with the remarkable year you鈥檝e just had.聽Bristol exceeding 10 million annual passengers for the first time. Or the busiest year on record for Manchester and Stansted. All told, passenger levels at UK airports were 7% higher in 2024 than the previous year.

I know none of this happens by accident.聽Much is down to the changes聽you鈥檝e聽made to the passenger experience. The technology聽you鈥檙e聽implementing. And the investments聽you鈥檙e聽making to increase capacity.

Looking longer term, it鈥檚 clear this is a trend, not an unusual year.聽In fact, everything points to a record-breaking 2025 鈥� and it鈥檚 easy to see why.

The world has never been more interconnected. The desire for travel never stronger.聽Global forecasts show a near doubling of passengers and cargo in the next 20 years聽聽

So the demand is there. It鈥檚 growing. And if we don鈥檛 seize it, we not only risk being outpaced by European competitors, but we will be on the wrong side of public aspirations.

Obviously, I鈥檓 preaching to the converted here.聽But it is brilliant that, right across our airports, we鈥檙e seeing palpable optimism for the future.聽聽

Heathrow鈥檚 拢2.3 billion investment to overhaul its infrastructure.聽The best ever financial results for Newcastle, ahead of a 拢17 million investment to resurface its runway and taxiway.聽And European Cargo鈥檚 decision to choose Cardiff as its second UK base 鈥� with regular flights to China.

But these impacts aren鈥檛 just felt within the industry, but outside too.聽Take Leeds Bradford. Where plans to upgrade its terminal will see a 拢940 million boost to the local economy, creating thousands of new jobs.

These investments reveal airports not only as hubs for travel, but hubs for growth 鈥� driving jobs, creating opportunity and facilitating the trade which underpins our way of life.

Now more than ever, you need a government that recognises this.聽That鈥檚 why we see airports as a crucial pillar of our Plan for Change.聽And it鈥檚 why we鈥檝e聽 acted, and acted quickly, across 3 areas 鈥� starting with expansion.聽

It鈥檚 no secret that long ignored capacity issues in the south-east, has meant some of our major airports are now bursting at the seams.

And yet 鈥� when it came to expansion 鈥� too many people stuck their heads in the sand.聽It left the industry in a perpetual holding pattern, with decisions circling around Whitehall for years, waiting for a clear signal.聽

Earlier this year, the Chancellor gave that signal 鈥� taking the brakes off growth by welcoming plans for a third runway at Heathrow.聽Britain鈥檚 first full-length runway in nearly 25 years.聽

Now, my job has to be balancing the economic benefits of expansion with our social and environmental commitments.

罢丑补迟听耻苍诲别谤辫颈苍苍别诲 my announcement鈥痑 few weeks ago on Gatwick, where I set a clear path for expansion if certain conditions are met.

And, of course, I鈥檒l be making an announcement on Luton very shortly.

But while I cannot go into any more details tonight 鈥� let me say this. I will never accept the false trade off that pits growing aviation against protecting our environment.聽I honestly believe we can, and must, do both.聽And how we do that is already being answered 鈥� by many in this room.

Firstly, we cannot hope for quieter, cleaner and greener flights if our most critical piece of infrastructure is stuck in the past.

Modernising our airspace will create more efficient flight paths, ensure quicker climbs and smoother descents, and help meet our commitments to noise and emission reduction.聽聽

So, I was grateful for the views you shared on the UK Airspace Design Service (UKADS) 鈥� the body that will drive this work.聽And you鈥檒l have heard that the Chancellor has now given the green light. Not just for a new UKADS but also to reviewing key processes behind modernising our airspace, and to an Airspace Design Support Fund to deliver faster progress.

We are now working with NATS on the shared goal that UKADS will be up and running this year.聽

Of course, to make progress on this critical reform agenda, we will rely heavily on your support and collaboration. Without that, we cannot maintain the pace we need.聽So I鈥檓 pleased that so many of you are already working constructively with airlines and local communities on your proposals.

Alongside this, we must ramp up work on reducing emissions.聽Green flight isn鈥檛 only essential for the industry, it鈥檚 existential.

Of course, sustainable aviation fuels will play a major role.聽It鈥檚 why we鈥檝e signed the SAF Mandate into law.

It鈥檚 why we鈥檝e now launched a consultation into a price guarantee for UK SAF producers and investors. And it鈥檚 why we鈥檝e backed homegrown SAF projects to the tune of 拢63 million via the Advanced Fuel Fund.聽聽

But SAF isn鈥檛 the only piece to this puzzle.聽Lighter wings and more efficient engines will play their part. As will new forms of zero-emission aircraft and supporting infrastructure.

Many of you鈥痟ave also set net zero targets for your airport operations in advance of 2040. And I鈥檓 thrilled to see you following through with solar panels helping power Birmingham and Newcastle airports. And hydrogen power being trialled on the ground at Exeter and Bristol.鈥�

All this matters.聽Expansion. Modernisation. Decarbonisation. These 3 areas will secure this industry鈥檚 future.聽

It鈥檚 why the government has wasted little time in:

• consulting on reforms
• getting legislation on the books
• making the crucial decisions on expansion and growth

And doing in 8 months, what previously has taken years.

Of course, challenges remain 鈥� I鈥檓 not blind to that.聽But throughout, I promise I will be working with you to remove the barriers holding you back.聽聽

Thank you.