THE region's airports have called on the Government to make better use of regional facilities to meet demand for future air travel.

Newcastle and Teesside Airports have responded to the consultation process that will shape a policy for aviation for the next 30 years.

The airports are united in the view that regional facilities are vital to the economic development prospects of the North-East and will have significant impacts on job creation.

Newcastle and Teesside have stressed the need for Government policy to recognise the importance of domestic air services from region to region and to other world markets.

Maintaining air services to London Heathrow are regarded as essential by both airports for the future competitiveness of the North-East.

Feeder services into London provide the region's business community with easy access to world markets, and provide an influential part in attracting inward investment to the region.

Ken Hall, chairman of the board of director of Teesside Airport, said: "What we have said to the Government is that in a regional context, airports play a critical role in driving forward economic development and job creation.

"Scheduled passenger flights provide important business links for the region, and charter operations have opened up enormous leisure opportunities for people across the North-East."

His views were echoed by Councillor Rita Stringfellow, chair of the Newcastle Airport board. She said: "There is a real opportunity for regional airports to demonstrate how they can play a much greater role in meeting future demand for air transport.

"A robust case is also put forward on how the sustainable growth of regional airports can have a major impact on regions in economic development terms."

The detail of the Government's aviation policy will be shaped by a series of Regional Air Service Studies.

The study for the North of England included Newcastle, Teesside and Manchester airports.

Commenting on the findings so far, Jonathan Blackie, director of strategy at One NorthEast, said: "It is good to see that both airports are now singing from the same hymn sheet.

"We recognise in our regional economic strategy that airports are very much at the heart economic development and bring in millions of pounds worth of investment into the region."

The Government's white paper on aviation will be published in 2002.

l In the year to March, Newcastle Airport attracted 3.2m passengers, an increase of 11 per cent on the previous 12 months. Teesside Airport attracted 750,298, in 12 months to the end of March.