Reduction in airline tax would help smaller Scots firms compete internationally

On Monday I was driving to Aberdeen Airport on the new AWPR bypass at 5.30am for my Flybe flight to Heathrow, when news came on the radio that Flybe are in trouble.

I had meetings with three multinationals in agro chemicals, rail transport and healthcare (total revenues $145 billion) who have bought, or are keen to buy, the HSE software my company has developed. It is an excellent example of the many world leading oil and gas technologies created in Aberdeen now being used in other industries worldwide. It’s a cloud app so we rarely meet our customers, only two of which are in Scotland.

We are pretty “green” so when we do travel it is a big deal. If low cost, regional airlines go under many small firms around the UK, especially in Scotland, will struggle to compete internationally so news that the UK government is acting so promptly to review airline tax is a very welcome example of the benefits of being in a large economic and political union that can take and implement big fiscal decisions – in marked contrast to the SNP’S airport tax policy u-turn whereby a sensible reduction was overturned by six Green MSPS for whom only 13,163 people voted in 2016.

As a result of our trip the initial £50,000 of deals have a potential of worldwide rollout approaching £500,000 in the next three years.

ALLAN SUTHERLAND Willow Row, Stonehaven

While awaiting solvency news of my flight to London, I could feel the weight of Greta Thunberg on my shoulder, willing Flybe under. As the tail end of Storm Brendan battered our tiny turbo prop plane, I did wonder if not popping an X in the carbon offsetting box was the wisest move.

There was no respite either from the Scotsman leader which chastised the subsidised flight I had just boarded. When the shame finally lifted, I asked myself who would pay the tax necessary to fund Scotland’s green nirvana if businesspeople just stopped travelling? Scotland has environmentally friendly hospitals with no patients, super-efficient ferries with no passengers, clean energy powering fuel poverty and electric cars which only go from A-B via C-D & E charging points.

Left to their own devices, Scotland’s growing legion of civil servants will meet every arbitrary green target without ever tackling the fundamental problems. They’ll all be relishing the next eco-challenge years before the smoke free torch shines on their last fiasco.

SNP ministers won’t escape the spotlight so easily. Nicola Sturgeon and co may want next year’s Holyrood election to focus on yet another referendum, but the electorate may have another wee priority; getting basic stuff done that doesn’t cost us the earth.

CALUM MILLER Polwarth Terrace, Prestonpans