News

New aviation minister appointed

Robert Courts has been appointed as aviation minister, the Department for Transport has confirmed.

He replaces Kelly Tolhurst, who had been in the role since February this year.

A DfT spokesman confirmed the like-for-like change to Travel Weekly, but said he could not comment further on a “political issue”.

Courts, as under secretary of state, will report into transport secretary Grant Shapps. He takes on responsibility for aviation alongside maritime and security and civil contingencies.

A trained barrister, Courts has been MP for Whitney, Oxfordshire, since 2016 – when he replaced former prime minister David Cameron.

He serves on Parliament’s Transport Committee and is a council member of aviation charity the Air League.

Tolhurst, who appeared before the Transport Committee over airline refunds in May, has been redeployed to a ministerial role within the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Share article

View Comments

Jacobs Media is honoured to be the recipient of the 2020 Queen's Award for Enterprise.

The highest official awards for UK businesses since being established by royal warrant in 1965. Read more.