Flying Matters

Flying Matters is a pro-aviation coalition in the United Kingdom, representing trade unions, business, tourism groups and farmers in the developing world as well as the aviation industry (airports, airlines, aerospace manufacturers and air traffic control). Formed in June 2007, they have issued briefings, press releases, lobbied Members of Parliament (MPs) and commissioned advertisements and opinion polls. Their chairman is Brian Wilson, (ex Labour MP and Energy Minister).

Staff

Brian Wilson, Chairman is frequently quoted in the press representing Flying Matters. He is also a non-executive director of AMEC Nuclear Holdings, of AFC Energy( Fuel Cells) and is 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. She previously worked for the National Union of Teachers, British Lung Foundation and theAirport Operators Association and on the 'Freedom To Fly' campaign in 2003 during the lead up to the Aviation White Paper.

Members

Tourism bodies and travel agents

• Association of British Travel Agents
• Association of Corporate Travel Executives
• Federation of Tour Operators [1]
• First Choice
• MyTravel
• Opodo
• Scottish Passenger Agents' Association[2]
• Tourism Alliance[3]
• Thomas Cook
• Thomsonfly
• Visit London(supporter)[4]
• Visit Britain(supporter)

Airlines

• British Airways
• Easyjet
• Flybe
• Monarch
• Virgin Atlantic
• XL Airways
• British Air Transport Association[5]
• Board of Airline Representatives in the UK[6]

Aerospace manufacturers

• Airbus
• Boeing
• Rolls Royce
• Society of British Aerospace companies[7]

Airport operators

• Manchester Airport
• BAA
• Airport Operators Association[8]

Trade associations

• Air Transport Users Council[9]
• British Business and General Aviation Association[10]
• Confederation of British Industry(supporter)

Trade unions

• Transport and General Workers Union
• Unite - The Union
• GMB Union

Farmers in the developing world and fresh produce importers

• Farmers Own[11]
• Fresh Produce Consortium[12]

Freight

• DHL

Other

• Quinetiq (Defence)
• Macquarie Group (Financial Services)
• Nats (Air traffic management)

Polling

Flying Matters commissioned campaign strategists CrosbyTextor[13] to conduct opinion research with 600 interviews in the top 30 marginal Labour and Liberal Democrat UK parliamentary constituencies: (Aberconwy; Battersea;Brighton Kemptown; Bristol North West; Calder Valley; Cardiff North; Carshalton and Wallington; Cheltenham; Chippenham; City of Chester; Colne Valley; Corby; Crawley;Croydon Central; Dartford; Eastleigh;Finchley and Golders Green; Hereford and North Herefordshire; Harlow; Hastings and Rye; Milton Keynes South;Hove; Loughborough; Perth and North Perthshire; Romsey and Southampton North; St Austell and Newquay; Stourbridge; Stroud; Taunton Deane and Westmorland and Lonsdale); the poll was carried out between 27 July and 2 August 2007 with field work by ORB.

Flying Matters issued a press release related to this poll on the 2nd September 2007 titled "Voters in key marginals shun Conservative proposals for higher taxes on air travel" that stated:

• 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 flying
• "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

Flying Matters issued a press release related to this poll on the 12th September 2007 titled: "Green' holiday tax plan puts Conservatives 6 per cent behind Labour in 30 most important marginals in the Country" that stated:

• 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

Flying Matters issued a press release related to this poll on the 27th September 2007 titled "US, China and India bear most responsibility for climate change according to new poll" that detailed a number of the questions asked and stated:

• Only 4 per cent of those polled said that the UK Government had most responsibility for tackling global climate change, even fewer identified individuals (2 per cent) and businesses in the UK (1 per cent)

• Only 3 per cent of soft voters – those crucial voters still to be persuaded by any of the main political parties – identified the UK government or individuals in the UK as having the most responsibility for preventing climate change

• 2 per cent of all voters identified the US as having the most responsibility for preventing climate change followed by businesses in China (15 per cent). Businesses in the US and the governments of were ranked equally on 13 per cent. Only 7 per cent identified individuals in the US and even fewer (5 per cent) identified individuals in China and India.

• "Contrary to the findings of some recent polls this shows that key voters have a sophisticated understanding of which countries are driving global climate change and attribute most responsibility for tackling it to the governments and businesses of the US and China." Brian Wilson

• "The UK government has a real opportunity this week to use its influence with President Bush to push for an effective global agreement. Voters recognise that climate change is a global problem and that the most effective solutions will be global ones – without the US, China and India proposals from UK opposition parties for unilateral action in the UK – particularly in relation to aviation - are likely to face resistance from these key voters." Brian Wilson

However a recent poll commissioned by anti-aviation group AirportWatch and conducted by Mori between the 8th and 12th June 2007 on attitudes to flying and climate change had stated:

• 91% now believe that the world’s climate is changing
• 77% of the public think this brings risks to Britain
• There is majority support for slowing down the growth in air travel across many of the subgroups analysed
• 75% of both Conservative and Labour voters support slower growth when first given the climate change introduction, (June 2006)

Crosby Textor Crosby|Textor also advised the Tories, under Michael Howard in his failed 2004 election bid and are credited with playing a significant role in the election of John Howard in Australia and in his subsequently defeated in 2007 (where climate change was a key issue). Crosby Textor subsidiary CT Financial state that "Corporations and their leaders are increasingly the victims of campaigns in favour of narrow, sectional interests and therefore their leaders require not just media management, but more sophisticated campaigns that incorporate new, high-level campaign methodologies"[14].

Crosby|Textor is run by Lynton Crosby and Mark Textor. Mark Textor has also acted as a consultant and 'communications specialist' to Philip Morris, British Nuclear Fuels and Mobil . Lynton Crosby and Mark Textor were accused of exploiting government connections to win support for the Qantas sale to Airline Partners Australia. The book The Hollow Men by Nicky Hager details their involvement in a New Zealand election and the subsequent fallout.

FlyingMatters position on aviation's contribution to climate change

Flying Matters have issued a number of briefings and press releases which agree that climate change is one of the most serious challenges facing the world and that aviation is a small but growing contributor and that growth should be allowed to continue when this is balanced with the economic and social benefits.

A briefing titled "Aviation and Climate Change" in August 2007 that claimed:

• 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 total UK emissions
• If International aviation emissions were 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 is used by many commentators

A press release in October 2007 titled "Climate Change Bill announcement: Only global solutions will be effective for aviation" that stated:

• "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

Brian Wilson (chairman of Flying Matters) while representing the nuclear industry has warned of the likely consequences of not reducing carbon emissions "As the citizens of Cornwall and Perthshire last week surveyed the consequences of climatic mayhem, they might also have been invited to form views on whether it really makes sense to abandon our only existing significant source of carbon-free energy"

The UK Department for transport forecasts show that by 2050 have highlighted that it is likely under current policy that aviation emissions alone will comprise between 33% and 70% of the UK target and Friends of the Earth have reported that the growth in flights will "wreck climate change targets"

Flying Matters is lobbying for aviation to be included in the EU emissions trading system, however it has been reported that the aviation sector is likely to receive a windfall £2.7 billion profit from the system.

The Tyndall Centre warns that the emissions trading system for aviation must be strengthened to be effective: "Aviation should be brought into the ETS earlier, by 2010 at the latest and should use a 1990 baseline for measuring carbon dioxide from aviation which will make the ETS more effective at cutting emissions and bring aviation into line with other sectors and the Kyoto Protocol".

FlyingMatters position on aviation and the developing world

Flying Matters published a briefing in August 2007 titled "Aviation and Trade with the Developing World" that claimed:

• Aviation helps the developing world
• 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

They also issued a press release in October 2007 titled "Soil Association should not undermine its objectives by potentially damaging producers in the developing world" that said:

• "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

In contrast to the above the World Development Movement say that far from helping Kenyan farmers in the long term, this policy "could kill millions" in Kenya and elsewhere in Africa; Oxfam have stated that "natural disasters have quadrupled over the last two decades as a result of climate change" and the Soil Association say that "Air freight won't be possible in the future - it'll be far too expensive,"

Flying Matters claim that improvement in plane efficiency is the answer, however aviation industry itself estimates improvements of only 25% by 2020 (with many older planes staying in service for a considerable time afterwards) at a time when aviation is growing at an annual rate of 5% and when emissions must be reduced by at least 60% before 2050.

Their position that "aviation growth will aid social justice"

Flying Matters issues a briefing in August 2007 titled "Aviation and People" which claimed:

• Most people in the UK have flown at least once
• 50 per cent of people in the UK traveled at least once by air in 2006
• 74 per cent had traveled 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

Flying Matters claim that ethnic minorities in the UK will be deprived of contact with their homes unless flight prices remain low, however the home countries of the UK core ethnic minorities[15], both Asian and Black (African and Caribbean), are predicted to witness major catastrophes in their home countries caused by climate change so may well not have a home to return to or a family to visit

Flying Matters claim that aviation growth will help "Hard Working Families", however it is poor who typically suffer most from extreme weather as they are less able to prepare, evacuate or recover; as witnessed in New Orleans. The predicted increases in food prices due both in part to climate change will also mainly affect the world's poor both here and abroad.

Their position that "aviation growth is essential for UK tourism"

Flying Matters issued a briefing on aviation and Tourism in August 2007 which claimed:

• 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

They also issued a press release in (November 2007) titled "Families will be priced out of air travel if Heathrow fails to expand" which makes the following claims:

• "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

However, Flying Matters is not representative of tourism industry as a whole, and only represents part of the aviation sector itself. Other travel organisations, such as Lonely Planet are calling for people to travel less often and stay longer, there is strong growth in other sectors of the tourism market with people are switching from air to rail and growth in the luxury train sector.

Their position that "aviation growth is essential for the UK economy"

Flying Matters issued a briefing in August 2007 titled "Aviation and the UK economy" which claimed:

• 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

They also issued a press release titled "Stopping new runways would cost half a million new UK jobs" in December 2007) that claimed:

• 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 and that 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

However, Flying Matters only represents a small subset of the economy and there is strong growth in other parts of the transport sector and also in economic areas in response to the call to convert to a low-carbon economy, and also to repair the damage caused by climate change related events. There is strong growth in the rail sector and in the renewable energy sector. Climate Change creates is own economic opportunities. Insurers warn of a potential £16bn recovery cost for major flooding on the East coast alone

The 'predict and provide' approach advocated by Flying Matters, and indeed as advocated by the current government's aviation policy has been abandoned within other transport sectors, where Demand Management strategies are a recognised as an essential tool .

Flying Matters claim that the only future is one with increased capacity, however almost a quarter of flights from Heathrow are to destinations less than 500 km away and already well served by train and they themselves say that flying is price sensitive.

Timeline

December 2007

Press release: Stopping new runways would cost half a million new UK jobs

Press story: Private Eye report on a Flying Matters funded meeting at the Labour Party Conference

Plane Stupid publish copy of a letter sent to MPs lobbying on Climate Change Bill

November 2007

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

Plane Stupid accuse Flying Matters of spying

October 2007

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

Press release: Stop Stansted Expansion:“not opposed to any further expansion” of airport - Flying Matters welcomes move by SSE

Press release: Response to DEFRA Climate Change Bill announcement: "Only global solutions will be effective for aviation"

Press Story: Importing organic food by air ‘may not be ethical enough’ - Brian Wilson is quoted as saying "Unless teleportation becomes viable in the next few years there is no alternative for them to get their fresh produce to market in time.”

Flying Matters accuse Plane Stupid of irresponsibility

September 2007

Flying Matters attend Labour Party conference: Brian Wilson was "taken to task as he defended the growth of airports and spoke against higher taxes" meeting for party delegates that Flying Matters sponsored, titled "Going Green"

Flying Matters attend Liberal Democrat Party Conference. At one fringe event Michell Di Leo was asked for her opinion on what a safe concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere might be (in parts per million by volume) and her brow furrowed as she mumbled that she didn’t understand the question. "I’m not a climate scientist,"

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

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

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

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

Press Story: Campaigners back cheap flights - Michell Di Leo quoted as saying "Working families are now able to share in the excitement and benefits of travel to places which were previously only available to a privileged few"

Press Story: Tory report backs increased taxes on flights and cars - Brian Wilson quoted "Taxes which increase the cost of flying will simply price working families out of flying"

Press Story: "Tax frivolous fliers", says Livingstone's green aide - Brian Wilson quoted as saying: "Deeply offensive, I have never heard of a bigger suicide pill politically than curbing frivolous flights,"

August 2007

Publish briefing: Aviation and Climate Change

Publish briefing: Aviation and Tourism

Publish briefing: Aviation and the UK economy

Publish briefing: Aviation and trade with the developing world

Publish briefing: Aviation and People

BAA, a Flying Matters member,applies for the 'mother of all injunctions' against Climate Camp

The protest camp, The Camp for Climate Action arrives at Heathrow

Brian Wilson publishes article in The Observer warning of urgent need to cut emissions saying "As the citizens of Cornwall and Perthshire last week surveyed the consequences of climatic mayhem, they might also have been invited to form views on whether it really makes sense to abandon our only existing significant source of carbon-free energy"

July 2007

Commissions advertisements featuring "No Entry" signs slapped over the Taj Mahal and Sydney Opera House

Press Story: Cancel new runway plans, say Tories - Michelle Di Leo quoted as saying "any delay in expanding Heathrow would damage Britain's ability to attract and keep businesses which depended on air links."

Press Story: Flying Matters accuse Eskimo of 'apocalyptic green spin' in row over Stansted expansion

Press Story: Sir Digby Jones resigns from Flying Matters

Press Story: Green travel consortium backs airport expansion - "Flying Matters, a global consortium of travel companies set up to show that the industry is taking climate change seriously, is set to use its first marketing campaign to champion an increase in the UK's aviation capabilities".

Press Story: Eco Soundings - "Gordon Brown is concerned about climate change, but he seems to have made at least one odd choice of person to advise his new government. Sir Digby Jones, the former director of the Confederation of British Industry, is now a government business adviser, yet he has one of the worst records when it comes to the environment".

June 2007

Flying Matters is launched

Press Story: Plane stupid ask if they are flying to close?

Press Story: Airlines must act fast on climate change - "Is the airline industry reacting too slowly to the debate on climate change? It is now six months since the publication of the Stern report - which devastatingly announced that air travel was the 'fastest-growing cause' of global warming".

May 2007

Press Story: Global travel firms unite in climate-change drive