ABSTRACT
For the purposes of this chapter, domestic air transport covers all scheduled passenger air services between points in the UK. The growth of such services between 1975 and 1986 has been relatively rapid. Table 13.1 shows that between these years, the growth of air travel in the UK (measured in terms of passenger-kilometres) was 67 per cent, twice that of road, and over 12 times that of rail. Air travel also grew over three times faster than real GDP. Despite this rapid growth, however, domestic scheduled air services still only account for a tiny proportion of the total passenger-kilometres travelled in Great Britain–less than 1 per cent in 1986. Growth has been erratic. Indeed between 1976 and 1977 and between 1980 and 1981, output, in terms of passenger seat-kilometres used, fell. 1 On both occasions airlines cut back the seat capacity flown by more than the fall in output. Passenger Transport in Great Britain, 1975–86: Estimated Passenger-Kilometres https://www.niso.org/standards/z39-96/ns/oasis-exchange/table"> (Billion) % Increase Mode 1975 1986 1975-86 Road Buses and coaches 55.0 41.0 -25.5 Cars and taxis 294.4 424.3 44.1 Motor and pedal cycles 7.92 10.11 27.7 All road 357.32 475.41 33.0 Rail 35.1 36.98 5.4 Air 2.22 3.70 66.7 All modes 394.64 516.09 30.8 Note: The table gives, for each mode, the degree of detail available from official sources. The extent to which the figures are rounded varies between modes. Source: Transport Statistics, Great Britain, 1975–1985, HMSO, London, 1986, Table 1.1; and Department of Transport.
