Regulator meets aviation and aerospace leaders in Scotland

The UK Civil Aviation Authority is meeting industry leaders from the Scottish aviation and aerospace industry today and tomorrow (16 and 17 May 2023) to understand what’s being done across the sector to maintain high levels of safety, improve the passenger experience and create a more sustainable future.

This forms part of the UK Civil Aviation Authority’s engagement with industry across the United Kingdom to understand the range of perspectives from the multiple areas it regulates and help inform decision-making for the benefit of consumers and the public.

During the two-day visit, the regulator’s Chair Sir Stephen Hillier, Joint-Interim Chief Executives Paul Smith and Rob Bishton, along with Board members, will visit Glasgow and Edinburgh Airports, Loganair, Bristow Helicopters and Skyrora.

At Glasgow and Edinburgh Airports, the UK Civil Aviation Authority will see their progress on sustainability, innovation and the investment being made to improve the passenger experience, specifically to discuss if there are learnings for other UK airports after both Glasgow and Edinburgh were ranked ‘very good’ on the service they offer passengers with reduced mobility.

They will also meet representatives from Connected Places Catapult, which is assisting Glasgow Airport, to create the UK’s first Connected Airport Living Lab. Sir Stephen, Paul Smith and Rob Bishton will see how the Living Lab is working to decarbonise ground and air operations.

The UK also has a growing space sector, with Scotland having strong roots in satellite manufacturing, rocket manufacturing, data and ground-breaking research, as well as plans for developments across a range of spaceports and launch operators.

Paul Smith and Rob Bishton will meet with Skyrora to discuss how it is progressing with its UK launch licence application and how the UK Civil Aviation Authority is working to enable and prepare a vertical launch from UK soil into space soon.

A visit will also be paid to Loganair to see how it is supporting regional connectivity and Bristow Helicopters, who are assisting the UK Oil and Gas sector through its Offshore Helicopter Safety Leadership Group.

Speaking in Scotland, Sir Stephen Hillier, Chair of the UK Civil Aviation Authority said:

“The UK’s aviation and airspace sectors is moving to a more sustainable future, with Scotland playing its part to reduce carbon emissions with the use of new innovations and technology, ultimately to help improve the passenger experience.

“It is a truly exciting time, especially in the UK space sector here in Scotland, but it is our role to support the aviation and aerospace sector to be safe, sustainable and successful.

“We’re engaging with the sector we regulate throughout the whole of the UK to hear first-hand how we can help it to continue to thrive safely in the future for the benefit of consumers.”