We’re on Europe’s edge so good connectivity mostly means flying

WHILE not surprising, the findings of the Abta and Airlines UK report are certainly concerning. They serve as a stark reminder that when it comes to securing the routes that play a vital role in facilitating investment, trade and tourism, Scotland is competing on a global stage.

Given our location on the periphery of Europe, Scotland has always had a unique reliance on aviation, yet we lag behind other European nations, including those that benefit from inherently better accessibility by road and rail.

Despite having the eighth largest population of the 11 countries surveyed, the report concluded Scotland generally ranks 10th in terms of connectivity – ahead of only Iceland, which has a population 1/20th the size of ours.

This is hardly surprising when you consider the UK is ranked 133rd out of 136 when it comes to air ticket taxes and charges, according to the 2017 World Economic Forum’s Travel and Tourism Competitiveness

Report. Only Colombia, Bolivia and Peru ranked lower.

Just six EU countries levy a similar tax but with substantially lower rates. Over the course of the past 10 years, Denmark, Belgium, Holland and Ireland have all abolished their air travel tax. At the start of 2013 Germany froze its air passenger tax after a study concluded two million passengers did not travel in

2011 due to the higher air fares.

Not to be outdone, Austria will halve its Air Travel Tax from January 1, 2018. The Austrian Ministers Council’s decision was taken to increase the attractiveness of Austria as a business and tourism destination, to secure the future of Vienna Airport as an international aviation hub and to create jobs and increase economic development.

This places Scotland at a severe competitive disadvantage, particularly at a time when we are having to contend with the added complexity of Brexit. The UK’s vote to leave the EU has created significant uncertainty within the aviation industry.

Now more than ever it is vital we retain the connectivity we have worked so hard to attract to Scotland and the 50 per cent reduction in Air Departure Tax (ADT) would play a major role in cultivating confidence amongst our airline partners and send a clear message that Scotland remains open for business.

We recognise CO2 emissions from the aviation sector are rightly an area of concern for both policy makers and the public.

We have always supported the Scottish Government’s aim of striking the right balance between its support for sustainable growth in aviation and measures that help limit the impact of aviation on the local environment.

It is important aviation’s contribution to global carbon emissions is put in context. Aviation currently accounts for less than four per cent of total Scottish emissions.

Put simply, unless ADT is reformed, people travelling to and from Scotland – who must fly due to the lack of feasible alternatives – will face some of the highest levels of taxation in the world.