Scottish Government urged to act quickly on aviation’s recovery

The new Scottish government must meaningfully engage with airports and airlines to ensure the aviation sector bounces back from the pandemic, the boss of Edinburgh Airport has warned.

The sector has been one of the hardest hit by crisis, as all but essential international travel was outlawed in the early part of the pandemic.

Gordon Dewar said the administration elected on May 6 must look to start the recovery of the sector on day one, and he called for a clear road map out of restrictions, plans to support the long-term growth of aviation, and a commitment to protect it from the effects of any new restrictions.

He said: “Scotland has collectively built an impressive network of international air services in the last 20 years, which provides the country with the connectivity on which our global influence and competitiveness depends.

“That network is being undermined by the lack of a detailed Covid recovery plan that we can, as a country, present to airlines to give them the confidence to fly to and from Scotland.

“Direct connections are vital to avoid us all having to travel through airports in England or in Europe; to allow efficient exporting of our goods to overseas and to welcome tourists and students to Scotland, on which so many jobs depend.”