Heathrow expansion willhelp Scotland, saybosses

Scottish airport bosses have called on politicians to support the Heathrow expansion.

Westminster will vote on proposals for a third runway at the London airport next month, but opposition has strengthened in recent weeks, with some Labour, Lib Dems and Conservatives set to vote against the plans.

The Scottish Chambers of Commerce have, however, backed the proposals and the Scottish Government signed a memorandum of understanding backing expansion in 2016.

Aberdeen and Inverness are part of a group of 40 airports included in an open letter calling for support in the hope the expansion will help boost trade and tourism links for Scotland, unlocking up to 16,100 jobs new jobs across the region.

The letter states: “We believe every corner of our country stands to benefit from the growth and trade that will stem from links to an expanded UK Hub airport.

“Expans ion at Heathrow will provide much- needed, longhaul connectivity to our passengers and will double the cargo capacity for the benefit of UK exporters.

“Heathrow has already shown its commitment to domestic connectivity by reducing its domestic passenger charges by £15 per passenger since January 2017, investing in a £10 million fund to kick-start domestic routes and ring-fencing new slots for domestic use.

“All of us, in every region and nation of the UK, will benefit from a bigger hub airport.”

“We believe our country stands to benefit”