Skye to London trial flights approved by Highland councillors
Councillors have approved controversial plans to trial flights from a Skye airstrip to the central belt of Scotland and London.
Members of the Highland Council’s Skye and Raasay committee unanimously agreed to seek £170,000 from Highland Council to re-establish a commercially-run airport at Ashaig.
Councillors will now write to the Transport Secretary on behalf of the local working group partners - the council, HITRANS and Highlands and Islands Enterprise - requesting financial and technical support to introduce trial air services to London.
The annual operational costs for an upgraded licensed airport have been estimated between £320,000 and £380,000.
Campaigners against the project claim the subsidy required to run the airport would take money away from schools and road repairs.
In 2018, work was commissioned to analyse best value options, based on a 19-seat twin otter aircraft, in the short term.
Highlands and Islands Airports (HIAL) provided significant input to the project as its staff have extensive expertise in operating and maintaining a network of similar airports across the Highlands and Islands. The work identified this could be achieved for an overall value in the range of £1.53m to £1.77m.
Speaking after the vote, committee chairman councillor John Gordon said: ‘In 2016, our committee first discussed the business case for developing air services to and from Skye. I thank the working group and acknowledge its efforts for moving things forward.
‘Good transport links, including regional air connectivity, are vital to the economic success of communities in the Highlands and Islands. Skye is one of the areas in Scotland that is furthest away from a scheduled air service.
‘Because of the airstrip’s location, it will also benefit Lochalsh, Wester Ross and the wider west coast of the Highlands.’
As part of the airstrip improvement work, Highland Council will also introduce a 50mph speed order, speed activated variable message signs and painted directional arrows on the road, either side of each of the car park accesses.
Chairman of the council’s infrastructure committee councillor Allan Henderson said: ‘The local working group has taken this work as far as it can and it shows that a service can be introduced at reasonable cost in comparison with other airports in the HIAL network.
‘It’s time now for the Scottish Government to assist us in delivering a pilot service between Skye and Glasgow.’
‘Because of the airstrip’s location, it will also benefit Lochalsh, Wester Ross and the wider west coast of the Highlands.’