The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
‘Bring back airport for Skye-high boost’
Economy: Study shows reopening facility could boost economy by £46.8m
PLANS to reopen Skye’s airport have received a major boost after a new study showed it would be worth millions of pounds to the local economy.
A business case for reinstating passenger flights to the Broadford Airstrip found that the benefits would far outweigh the costs. The analysis showed reviving the airport could be worth up to £46.8million to the Hebridean island and the wider area over the next three decades, at a cost of £19.4million to £23.1million.
Councillors on the island have now been urged to back the ambitious proposal at a meeting of the Skye and Raasay committee in Portree on Monday.
The air strip at Ashaig, was opened in 1972 to serve as a gateway to the island, with Loganair operating a scheduled route to Glasgow from 1972 to 1988, when the service was disbanded.
Calls to reopen the airport have
been growing, and campaigners were delighted last night by the findings of the draft business case and the recommendation from council chiefs.
But one leading figure suggested the report may even understate the local economic benefits.
Shirley Spear, who owns the celebrated The Three Chimneys restaurant at Dunvegan, has been one of the prime movers behind the FlySkye campaign.
She said: “I would say the figures quoted are quite modest and that it could be even more successful.
“It is not just going to affect tourism. It’s for the whole social economy of Skye, the surrounding islands and the mainland.
“The wider area will benefit enormously from having this connection to the central belt.
“It will give the people who live and work on Skye so much better choice of work and travel, taking us another step into the modern world.”
Mrs Spear pointed out that next month it would be four years since they started this campaign.
She said: “It has been quite a long slow process to get to this stage.
“We’re really pleased that it has been so well received by the council.
“We are now hoping they will put it forward to Transport Scotland and that will open the doors for wider discussion with the Scottish Government in the near future.”
The draft business case report on Skye air services was commissioned by regional transport partnership Hitrans as a collaborative study involving Highland Council and Highlands and Islands Enterprise.
It looked at two options for providing a service between Broadford and Glasgow – using nine-seat Islander or 19- seat Twin Otter aircraft. The main difference between them was found to be the size of the terminal and aprons needed to accommodate the different-sized aircraft.
The report concluded that the larger Twin Otter option would cost less to set up and bring more benefits.
The costs of reopening the airport include capital and operational expenditure, maintenance and airline subsidies.
The socio-economic benefits include journey time savings, overnight stay savings, Gross Value Added impacts and increased inbound tourist spend.
But council chiefs added that the project would be “unaffordable” for the local authority, and would need government support.
The final report, along with options for how the project could be moved forward, is to be presented to a future meeting of the council’s planning, development and infrastructure committee.
Ross, Skye and Lochaber MPIan Blackford, who was also one of the original FlySkye campaigners, said: “I think the report demonstrates that there’s a really strong economic case for the airport and that it is something that would help benefit local people and businesses and help develop the tourist trade on a year round basis for Skye and West Ross.”
One of Broadford Airstrip’s claims to fame on Skye is that itwas used for the opening shots of the hit sci-fi film Flash Gordon, which was famous for Queen’s riproaring soundtrack.
The plot was all about saving the world from the threat of destruction, but now the mission is simply to get Skye’s airstrip open again, which is hardly as big a mountain to climb.
But it has been slow progress for campaigners who have been fighting for four years to restore air links, which were scrapped nearly 30 years ago.
They have now been given fresh encouragement by an official report which forecast a £40million boost for Skye over the coming 30 years if regular scheduled flights returned. Leading campaigners believe those figures are on the conservative side and the benefits could be even greater.
This issue goes to the heart of a familiar subplot to island life: how to maintain and grow services in potentially fragile remote communities, where public subsidies and grant support are vital. For any commercial transport links to survive, a sound business plan is essential. Highland officials now believe they have a convincing case, but that does not preclude Transport Scotland and the Scottish Government from throwing their weight behind the plan to speed things up.
Skye is a major player in supporting Highland tourism and the potential spin-off benefits for visitor income, andbusiness generally, must be supported by a clear signal from the Scottish Government that it means business.
“The potential spin-off benefits must be supported by the Scottish Government”