Plans for remote control towers at island airports will have ‘negative impact’

PLANS for remote control towers at airports will have a “very significant negative impact” on some island communities, according to a report.

Highlands and Islands Airports Limited (HIAL) is planning to introduce remote integrated air traffic control services for five airports: Inverness, Dundee, Stornoway, Kirkwall and Sumburgh.

This will be delivered via a Combined Surveillance Centre located in Inverness.

In addition, Benbecula and Wick John O’groats airports will change the way air traffic management is delivered by extending their current Aerodrome Flight Information Service (AFIS) operations.

An independent impact assessment of HIAL’S Air Traffic Management Strategy (ATMS) found that there would be a “very significant negative impact” on employment in Lewis, Orkney and Shetland and a significant negative impact due to population loss.

On Lewis it is estimated that

14.3 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs and £579,000 in gross salaries will be lost under ATMS, while in Shetland, it is estimated at 16.9 FTE jobs and £670,000 in gross salaries.

For Orkney, the estimated impact is the loss of 16.2 FTE jobs and £653,000 in gross salaries.

Politicians and unions are calling on HIAL to rethink their plans.

Orkney MSP Liam Mcarthur said: “HIAL’S plans are damaging for our islands, but the impact assessment has revealed the full scale of this decision for our community. “

HIAL managing director, Inglis Lyon, said: “There have been no alternative proposals that provide a solution that fully addresses all of the challenges HIAL faces.”

A Transport Scotland spokesman said: “We recognise the need to modernise air traffic control in the Highlands and Islands. No alternative has been proposed which addresses the issues that the project aims to resolve.we urge HIAL’S staff to continue to play a constructive role.”