Edinburgh air route to US axed over tax cut delay
● Norwegian will also cut back two more transatlantic links from capital
Norwegian is to axe a US route from Edinburgh and cut back its two others because of ministers postponing a reduction in air taxes.
The airline will end flights to Bradley in Connecticut in March, just nine months after they were launched.
Its route between the capital and Stewart, north of New York City, will be reduced from daily to four flights a week. Flights to Providence in Rhode Island, south of Boston, will go from five times a week to three. An industry source described the routes’ “load factors” – proportion of seats filled – as “poor”.
Between June and November it was 58 per cent for Providence, 66 per cent to Bradley and 71 per cent to Connecticut.
Edinburgh Airport said it was the first time an airline had curtailed flights because of the tax delay.
The Scottish Government had intended to halve air departure tax, its new version of air passenger duty, in April.
However, the minority administration faced opposition from other parties.
Finance secretary Derek Mackay announced in October the plans were on hold because of the need to get EU approval to continue exemption from the tax for airports in the Highlands and Islands.
A Norwegian spokesperson said: “The prospect of a reduction in air passenger taxes meant we had been planning for continued growth in Scotland.
“The Scottish Government’s postponement of a reduction to air passenger taxes was therefore deeply disappointing and has led us to review existing transatlantic services from Edinburgh.
“We urge the Scottish Government to quickly resurrect plans for a reduction in air passenger taxes which would reopen the door to more flights.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “We have set out a clear aim to reduce the burden of air passenger taxation by 50 per cent by the end of this parliamentary term, and abolish it entirely when public finances allow.
“We will continue to work in partnership with Norwegian and other airlines, and with all Scotland’s airports, to grow the number of international routes to and from Scotland.”