 Whilst airport development in the UK is subject to local planning authority processes , the government regards airports as an important part of the national infrastructure and which therefore requires their development to be planned with a strategic approach . To support this , the government began a three @-@ year public consultation process with the publication in December 2000 of The Future of Aviation consultation document . This outlined the issues underpinning air transport and sought views on how they should be addressed in any future policy . One of the main questions asked was whether policy should focus on meeting demand or whether it should focus instead on limiting the negative effects of air transport . Another key issue for which views were sought was how the industry might best meet the environmental costs it incurs . Between July 2002 and February 2003 a further seven regional consultation documents were published . These focussed on the economic , environmental , social and airspace appraisals relating to options for future airport development specific to the regions , and together they generated half a million responses . During the Spring of 2003 workshops based on a consultation document titled Aviation and the Environment - Using Economic Instruments were held to seek stakeholder views on the desirability and effectiveness of various financial measures that might address the environmental impacts of aviation . The consultation process ended in December 2003 with the publication of The Future of Air Transport White Paper which detailed the government 's conclusions . 
