Millions needed to set up Skye flights

A study into the feasibility of re-introducing flights to Skye has revealed that the cost of establishing an air service could cost as much as £2.34m in the first year.

The working group, tasked with investigating the feasibility of a scheduled air service linking Skye with either Glasgow or Edinburgh, commissioned aviation consultants Arcadis to identify the infrastructure and operational costs required to establish the trial air service.

The study comes after Skye councillors backed a report published earlier this year which recommended creating a trial air link between the island and Glasgow.

It found that the capital investment required to make the airport ready for a scheduled service is estimated at between £1.15m and £1.36m, while the annual running costs of supporting the air service and running the airport is estimated at between £880,000 to £980,000.

The working group – made up of representatives from HITRANS, Highland Council, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Transport Scotland and Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd – has outlined a ‘preferred option’ which involves the deployment of a 19-seat aircraft – a Twin Otter – to operate 12 flights per week from the existing airstrip at Ashaig, near Broadford to Glasgow.

‘The research undertaken by the working group clearly demonstrates a demand for the service but we must be realistic in what we can achieve with the funds likely to be available,’ said Ranald Robertson (HITRANS partnership director), commenting on behalf of the working group.

‘Operating a service on a trial basis is clearly going to be more affordable and our focus now must be to identify the funding to get the trial service off the ground. If this funding can be secured, the working group will set out future steps including airport and airspace licensing which would include stakeholder and community engagement.’

According to the working group, two years is the shortest realistic timescale needed to obtain licences and approvals, construct new facilities, set up an aerodrome operating team, sign agreements with airline operators and commence scheduled air services.

Through consultation with key stakeholders, an outline layout for the introduction of a trial service at Broadford has been prepared, which identifies provision of a 200-square-metre modular building terminal situated in a central location with short walking distances to the car park and the apron. Thirty public car parking spaces, including EV charging provision, would be provided together with space for bus, taxi and drop off.

Skye (Ashaig) Airport is located around four miles east of the village of Broadford and is owned by The Highland Council. No commercial services have operated from the airport since 1988 and the airfield is unlicensed under CAA regulations.