'Don't price ordinary people out of travel,' Jet2 chief Steve Heapy warns new govt
Gary NoakesJet2.com and Jet2holidays has urged the new government not to price travel beyond the reach of ordinary people and unveiled a manifesto setting out how to keep prices fair while achieve growth.
Speaking at a fringe event hosted by the airline and operator at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool, Jet2 chief executive Steve Heapy cautioned against demand management – such as further taxes on flying – “that impact working people”.
He called for the government’s new National Wealth Fund to invest in a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) industry, and to incentivise private investment through an interim revenue certainty mechanism. This would ensure fuel companies are paid a guaranteed price for SAF to encourage them to ramp up production and keep costs to the consumer down.
“The potential reward from seizing the opportunity to build a new clean industry and drive regional growth is huge, with a future UK SAF industry providing 20,000 jobs and £3 billion in economic activity by 2035, with most clusters in industrial heartlands," said Heapy.
Heapy continued: “The new government has made positive noises about SAF, and we urge them to seize this huge opportunity right now, as by doing so they can drive economic growth right across the UK.”
Jet2’s long-time chief highlighted how it had grown revenue tenfold over the past 10 years and now employs more than 15,000 people across the UK. He pledged to be a responsible employer “and make work pay through the continued provision of good salaries and generous benefit packages”.
He added: “The introduction of more regulatory and tax burdens on our industry would not only impact consumer demand, making travel an activity for the rich and privileged, but it would also impact the ability of our sector to contribute to the economic growth of the UK.”
Jet2’s manifesto calls on govt, and pledges to its passengers, to:
- Put economic stability first and rule out demand management measures that impact working people, ensuring they continue to have access to affordable holidays
- Get Britain building again by using the National Wealth Fund to invest in a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) industry. Introduce an interim revenue certainty mechanism that increases private investment and keeps costs down for working people
- Back British business and eliminate the competitive disadvantage that UK airlines face. Match the EU approach and provide SAF price differential support through EU Emission Trading System (ETS) cost reductions. Ring-fence ETS contributions to support decarbonisation. Invest further in engineering and training facilities in the north of the UK
- Kick-start a skills revolution by reforming the apprenticeship levy to increase flexibility and incentivise employers to invest in training. Donate unused apprenticeship levy funds to charities and travel businesses
- Make work pay while giving responsible employers the flexibility to invest and promote business growth, and to reward staff with good salaries and generous benefit packages
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