Council concerned over remote air control plan
NEW CONCERN has been expressed about plans by Highlands and Islands Airport Ltd (HIAL) to move to a system of remote air traffic control towers.
Western Isles Council and Na h-Eileanan an Iar MSP Alasdair Allan have both voiced new fears about the proposal.
In a letter to HIAL’s managing director, Dr Allan has questioned HIAL over the justifications for this proposal and raised concerns about the economic impact this could have in Benbecula and Stornoway.
Dr Allan said: ‘When I met with HIAL’s managing director and chairman about this proposal earlier this month, I was keen to stress there are concerns about the potential for the islands to lose high-quality, well-paid jobs.
‘My Westminster colleague Angus Brendan MacNeil MP and I have met members of the workforces who are concerned not only about future employment, but also about how feasible or desirable such a system would be.
‘HIAL has cited recruitment challenges as one of the motivations for this proposal, but this is an issue the industry as a whole faces and it is hard to accept this is something unique to the islands.
‘It is also troubling that Benbecula is earmarked as the first airport to transition to remote operation. It would appear to be one of the airports with the best level of staff retention, minimal maintenance costs and it has the additional complication of significant military activity at both the airport and in the surrounding area.
‘While I welcome the fact HIAL has agreed to undertake a social impact assessment, there are still a great number of question marks around this proposal and I hope they will engage further with key stakeholders and the affected communities on these points.’
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar said it is to continue making representations to the UK and Scottish governments regarding its concerns.
The comhairle is worried about HIAL’s proposals for remote tower and centralised approach surveillance technology as part of the company’s 2030 strategy.
Councillor Uisdean Robertson, chairman of the comhairle’s transportation and infrastructure committee, said: ‘The comhairle is concerned at the potential loss of a significant number of high quality, wellpaid jobs in the islands.
‘Our understanding is that 17 posts could be lost directly from our communities which, in as fragile an economy as the Outer Hebrides, would be a substantial impact. A further four posts could be lost through indirect and induced impacts.
‘We also have concerns about a centralised monitoring system given the shortcomings in the reliability, resilience and security of existing communications infrastructure. There may also be implications for QinetiQ’s operations at the MoD Hebrides range and this has not been explored in HIAL’s scoping study.
‘The only response we have so far received is from the Scottish Government and I find it disappointing it has not responded more positively to our concerns in light of the fact that, once again, jobs are in danger of being lost to the islands and transferred to the mainland.
‘As we recently highlighted to CalMac, the islands desperately need work opportunities, particularly high skilled, high quality jobs which could go a long way to sustaining the fragile economy of the islands.’