Shared air space makes sense

Sir, – I cannot agree more with the sentiments of Ian Crombie of Cupar (Letters, June 26), who was airing his views on the increase in air travel and congestion around Edinburgh Airport.

RAF Leuchars, now an army base, would be a suitable alternative as an airport with infrastructure, in the form of a rail link, already in place.

The runway is another draw. Before RAF Leuchars was closed as a strategic fighter base, millions were spent on improving the runway for the Typhoon aircraft and a former station commander said Leuchars could take any size of aircraft.

We must remember that Leuchars is still a military base and its runway is retained by the RAF as a diversion option for RAF Lossiemouth, whose Typhoons occasionally practise take-offs and landings, and for aircraft from other UK bases.

In the event of a war, it would not take long for Leuchars to become an operational base once more, depending on the enormity of the conflict.

However, I do remember, many years ago, landing on holiday at an airfield in Italy and, along with the passenger aircraft, noticing American Phantoms which shared the civilian space.

Perhaps it is not unimaginable that passenger aircraft could also share the military space at Leuchars in the event that the increase in air travel and passenger numbers at exisiting airports, such as Edinburgh, becomes overwhelming.

Thomas Brown. Garry Place, Bankfoot.