This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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New Inv'ness-Manc'ter air route takes off
11/10/2002
Further growth and development of the aviation industry
in the Highlands and Islands should be encouraged on the
back of passenger numbers doubling over the last decade, a
special business breakfast in Nairn was told today.
Deputy First Minister Jim Wallace was at the event
arranged around the on-going consultation by the Executive,
in conjunction with the Department for Transport, on the
future of air travel in the Highlands and Islands.
It took place on the same day that Eastern Airways and
Highlands and Islands Limited (HIAL) announced a new
Inverness to Manchester service.
The business breakfast, hosted by Highlands &
Islands Enterprise, provided local businesses the
opportunity to discuss and debate options presented in the
aviation consultation document, and specific issues
relating to the Highlands and Islands.
Mr Wallace said:
"As we have discussed today the aviation industry is
critical to Scotland's future. The next thirty years will
see increasing demand for air travel across the Highlands
and the rest of Scotland, and this offers significant
opportunities for all our airports.
"It is vital that we have an open and informed debate on
how best to ensure that this rising demand benefits
airports and communities across the Highlands and the rest
of the country.
"Today's event and the wider consultation process is
focusing on genuine engagement - the consultation document
sets out a range of options and we must discuss and explore
all these options fully. This will allow us to plan for the
long-term and to take best advantage of the opportunities
associated with this growth, while minimising pollution and
congestion."
Mr Wallace also participated in a press conference at
Inverness Airport hosted by HIAL and Eastern Airways where
new routes from Inverness to Manchester, and from Dundee to
Manchester were announced.
The new Inverness route will allow Highland passengers
to link with connecting onward flights to a number of
European and American cities.
Mr Wallace said:
"I am delighted to welcome Eastern Airways to Inverness
Airport. As we have discussed today strong air transport
links are a key driver of economic growth and I'm confident
that today's announcement of new routes from both Inverness
and Dundee will be hugely significant for both business and
tourism in the Highlands.
"There has been a dramatic rise in the level of
financial support the Executive is making available to HIAL
- a massive £14.5 million increase in our support over the
last five years. This allows HIAL to continue to operate
their ten airports across the Highlands & Islands and
to encourage the continuing development of air services. We
are delighted to see this happening as Eastern Airways' new
Inverness service indicates."
The telephone number for public enquiries about the
consultation is
0845 100 5554.
The deadline for responses to the consultation is
November 30.
Today's business breakfast forms part of a series of
consultation events across Scotland that started with a
conference in the SECC on September attended by the
Secretaries of State for Scotland and for Transport, the
Deputy First Minister and the Minister for Enterprise
Transport and Lifelong Learning.
A workshop on Air Services to Remote Areas will be held
in Inverness on October 24 and a closing conference is
planned for November 12 in Edinburgh.