Starmer hears airport chief bemoan lack of plan for aviation firms

Labour has called for a recovery plan for aviation, as Sir Keir Starmer visited Edinburgh Airport yesterday.

He met Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar and airport chief executive Gordon Dewar who said the Scottish Government had failed to provide any plan for how international travel could resume.

It comes as Labour pledged to create 170,000 jobs through a variety of schemes as part of its election promises.

Sir Keir said airport executives had stressed the need for a plan on how air travel could resume.

The Labour leader said: “What they are most concerned about is that there needs to be a plan for the future, the uncertainty is having a huge effect on the airport.

“That’s why here in Scotland the central focus has to be on the recovery and that’s why Scottish Labour are today launching this 170,000-jobs package.”

Mr Sarwar called for the aviation sector to have a transitional support fund as travel returned to preCovid levels.

“It’s going to take time to get us back to even preCovid levels. We need to have support for businesses across the country.”

Mr Dewar said: “We’re just hoping we can get engagement with government to start talking about how we’re going to trade our way out of this.

“But unfortunately at the moment that doesn’t seem to be happening.”

TOP TWO: Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer with Anas Sarwar in Edinburgh yesterday.