Department for Transport: Aviation
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the answer of 24 March 2026 to Question 120039, what the purpose was of each flight to Qatar; which Ministers and senior officials approved each visit; how many officials travelled on each occasion and at what grade; what the cost was of each visit; and whether she assessed the potential merits of (a) conducting the engagements remotely and (b) combining the engagements with other travel.
Answered by Simon Lightwood
The Department for Transport (DfT) undertakes essential international work each year, including aviation and maritime security operations, and direct engagement with other countries and international bodies. While a significant proportion of DfT’s international activity is conducted remotely, in person visits are also necessary to deliver effective engagement and technical assistance, particularly in an operational environment. The visits to Qatar were programmed to support DfT’s ongoing international activity.
The purpose, number and grade of officials who travelled and the cost of each visit (flight and hotel costs) is set out in the table below:
Date | Purpose | Officials | Cost |
13th January 2025 | Participation in International Civil Aviation Organisation working group. | 1 Grade 6 1 SEO | £2593.68 |
15th January 2025 | Transfer journey via Qatar for Maritime Security Officer travelling back from a conference in the Philippines. This covers the Doha-London sector of the flights only. | 1 SEO | £173.95 |
31st January and 1st February 2025 | Maritime Security Capacity Development activity. (this was cancelled due to engagement issues) | 2 SEO | Activity cancelled, costs after refund £730 |
17th and 18th Feb 2025 | Aviation Security Training delivery. This includes two DfT approved third party trainers, and one official. | 2 HEO-equivalents and 1 EO | £4051.54 |
11th April 2025 | Participation in the International Civil Aviation Organisation Facilitation Conference and working group. | 1 Grade 7 | £1256.95 |
16th April 2025 | Transfer journey for Aviation Security staff and a dependent, returning from overseas posting. | 2 SEO | £623.70 |
1st October 2025 | Qatar element of international engagement visit to the Gulf region, including Global Rail conference and engagement with Qatari stakeholders. | 1 HEO 1 SCS PB1 | £1883.96 |
All visits were approved by a Senior Civil Servant in DfT, in line with departmental policy. Where possible, visits have been combined with other official travel.
As part of the planning process for each visit, consideration was given to whether the engagement could be conducted remotely. While some preparatory and follow‑up activity was undertaken virtually, it was not possible to conduct these visits fully remotely.
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