Red-faced airport chiefs apologise
199 consultation responses lost
Edinburgh Airport chiefs have been left red- faced after losing almost 200 consultation responses.
The airport is currently consulting on potential changes to flight paths which could mean more planes flying over West Lothian.
But the embarrassing news that 199 responses had been lost came just hours before chief executive Gordon Dewar went in front of hundreds of residents in Linlithgow.
Gordon Robertson, director of communications for Edinburgh Airport, apologised for the gaffe and blamed website upgrading.
He also confirmed that the consultation deadline will be extended from Monday, September 12 to Monday, September 19.
Mr Robertson said: “We have identified that responses submitted via the consultation website between 10.31am on Monday, August 29,and 12.05 pm Friday, September 2, did not save during a planned upgrade of the site.
“Although this is a relatively small number of responses in the context of the overall number of submissions, we are committed to ensuring that all who want to comment on our plans can.
“Despite this 21 email addresses were captured and the airport has this morning responded to them directly to explain the situation and request they resubmit.
“We apologise wholeheartedly for this and believe that this extension offers sufficient time for people to resubmit their input.”
The news was met with disgust by campaign group Edinburgh Airport Watch, who said the airport’s reputation was “seriously tattered”.
A spokeswoman said: “This is simply shocking incompetence, even for Edinburgh Airport.
“Their consultation is fatally flawed, and for the sake of their reputation they must scrap this unnecessary and bungled process now.
“We further call on the airport to reverse the changes they have already made to airspace without any consultation that are already causing misery to thousands across West Lothian, Falkirk and Fife, and to seriously rethink their deplorable approach to Community Engagement.”
Linlithgow MSP Fiona Hyslop said: “I have contacted the chief executive of Edinburgh Airport to raise my concerns over this matter and ask for an explanation as to how they will now proceed with the consultation.
“I have also asked how they expect the people of West Lothian to trust them after making such an avoidable error as part of a consultation that Edinburgh Airport have placed much importance on.”
Gordon Dewar was grilled by residents during a meeting at Linlithgow Burgh Halls on Tuesday about the data loss.
He said: “The meeting in Linlithgow - and each of 16 community engagement meetings we have been involved in throughout the consultation - was extremely valuable for us, enabling Edinburgh Airport to meet and to listen to the views of local people.”
Lothian MSP Neil Findlay, who chaired the meeting said: “What is absolutely clear is that people will not be pushed around or steamrolled by a big powerful organisation like Edinburgh Airport.
“There are many communities across West Lothian who feel the impact of disruption and noise from planes flying overhead and there are many more who fear they may be suffer in future.
“From the beginning I have been convinced that the real drive for expansion of routes at Edinburgh is to fatten the airport up for sale and to deliver huge profits for the owner Global Infrastucture Partners.”
The airport has already received 4000 responses to the consultation, which comes almost a year after the TUTUR flight path trial over West Lothian ended early following noise complaints.