The Government's “Future of Air Transport” White Paper of 2003 supported the development of Liverpool John Lennon airport as a key driver to generating growth and investment in Merseyside and the north-west region, provided proposed developments took into account the local and wider environmental impacts of air travel. The airport already enjoys good surface transport links including an express bus service from the city centre, and the Liverpool South Parkway rail-bus interchange opened in 2006. The airport's draft master plan, published in 2006, explored a range of possible further options for transport links, and the airport's operator continues to work with local statutory agencies and other partners to evaluate them.