163. Air travel has grown at an astonishing rate over the past quarter century and it shows no sign of slowing. From being the reserve of the wealthy few it has become the international mode of transport for Everyman. As the number of passengers has grown so has the industry that caters to them. It increasingly has to take account of a variety of passenger requirements as it operates in an ever expanding and liberalised market. Established airlines are facing competition both for economy passengers from the low cost airlines and for business passengers from dedicated business carriers. In this marketplace the customer really is king and if they do not like what you offer they will go and shop elsewhere.

164. So why is it, at a time when more people than ever are travelling by air and when they have a bigger choice than ever before, that air passengers are more frustrated and dissatisfied than ever? The cumulative impact of the evidence we received would suggest that it is a combination of things: more choice does not appear to mean more power; easier means of purchasing tickets has not increased transparency; security queues are getting longer as rules become more convoluted but people do not believe in the threat they are meant to guard against; and when things go wrong consumer rights are overwhelmed by legal complexity.

165. It is clear what passengers want: to buy a ticket that is clearly priced; to travel to the airport quickly and reliably without damaging the planet; to be able to take advantage of new technologies at airports to avoid check-in and drop off their baggage and then to proceed through security, all in the space of fifteen minutes; to entertain themselves while airside and to get quickly onto a plane that is stewarded by qualified, polite staff and that is carrying well-mannered, considerate fellow passengers. We do not think that this is asking the world and we look to the UK's excellent aviation industries to deliver it.