Speaking at the Airport Operations Association’s (AOA) annual conference on Tuesday (19 September), Courts said the plans will look at how aviation can recover from Covid-19 and "strategic issues" facing the sector.

He said the authority will seek the opinions of the industry on how the plans should take shape, to ensure it is "relevant, practical and useful". 

"We are in a period now where we are looking to the future," Courts added. "I’m not saying we’re out of the woods yet, but we can definitely see the edge of the woods.

"There is an immense appetite for travel, people want to get out and go on holiday or reconnect with loved ones they haven’t seen for so long. We will do everything we can to get back to normal as quickly as possible."

Transport secretary Grant Shapps said the strategic framework will consider domestic routes as part of a "much wider view of the industry as we build back better".

"It will also look at key issues, like workforce, skills, regulation, consumer issues, as well as the role of UK aviation and the way it plays into the strength of the UK’s global reach," he added.