Haigh told the Airlines 2024 conference: “Britain’s future growth depends on you; my mission is simple, to fix the barriers holding you back.”
She later stressed that "decarbonisation" does not mean flying less, but flying "differently".
"That is why I will always support airport expansion as long as it grows the economy and meets environmental commitments. I want aviation to thrive in a net zero world," Haigh added.
“Nobody should be under any illusion that aviation is not important to this department or this government.”
Haigh confirmed plans for a new UK Airspace Design Service with “more flexibility, more resilience” and space for additional routes.
“Our airspace has not seen a major upgrade since the 1950s. Infrastructure designed for a few million passengers a year handles hundreds of millions,” she said.
Sustainable aviation fuels could be part of industrial policy, she said, saying SAF manufacture was an “opportunity to reindustrialise, particularly parts of the north”.
“If we can grasp this opportunity, it could really be at the heart of this country’s next industrial revolution.”
The Jet Zero Taskforce will meet for the first time on 4 December and replaces the Jet Zero Council set up under the previous government.
It is claimed the new body will have broader input from government, with business and trade secretary Jonathan Reynolds and energy, security and net zero secretary Ed Miliband being members.
Haigh said this was “a clear signal this is a whole of government priority” and not “a large talking shop”.
Also taking part will be the chief executives of carriers including easyJet and Virgin Atlantic plus airports including Heathrow and Manchester as well as fuel producers, trade bodies and universities.
Haigh added her self-appointed role as ‘passenger-in-chief’ meant she would also champion consumer rights, including obstacles that block disabled travellers from flying.
She also promised to look at how disruption was handled, saying: “The messaging is not consistent to passengers. There is not enough standardisation as I would like to see.”
