Council and SFRS must find solution to fire cover dispute

There have been many reports this year about how the economy of Argyll and the Isles has been booming in recent times, most notably, of course, in the tourism sector.

However, there is no room for complacency and anything that threatens the future of the hospitality industry is to be resisted as fully as possible.

So it is worrying that there is growing concern over the provision of flights to the islands. These communities, some of them with already fragile economies for a whole raft of reasons, rely on often precarious transport links, principally ferries but also air routes.

As we report this week, there are fears that flights to and from Colonsay and Coll could be suspended as a result of a dispute over pay to firefighters. A worried reader who heard flights into and out of Colonsay and Coll were about to be grounded because of a dispute involving firefighters. ‘If we don’t have fire crews covering the airport, there won’t be any flights in or out of here,’ said the caller, who wanted to stay anonymous.

The situation is a complex one, with responsibility for the airports lying with the council but the fire cover being provided by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

Officials say they are working together to bring a resolution to the issue. We trust that they will do so and with urgency to avoid putting lifelines flights in jeopardy.