Stewart Nicol, Chief Executive, Inverness Chamber of Commerce
A good news story for the Highlands has highlighted the need to step up campaigning to maintain and improve vital transport links.
The announcement last month that British Airways is extending the Inverness-Heathrow service from March was warmly welcomed by Inverness Chamber of Commerce which has been at the forefront of lobbying efforts, firstly to get the Heathrow service re-instated and, secondly, to have it enhanced.
From March 31, 2019 the number of weekly flights operated by BA between the two cities during the summer season will increase from 10 to 16. The winter flying programme will double from 7 to 14 return services a week, with the airline operating a double-daily schedule every day of the week from October 27.
The increased schedule means that, for the first time since the Heathrow to Inverness route was reinstated in 2016, an aircraft will be parked overnight at Inverness Airport and BA customers will be able to travel between the two cities, complete a full working day, and return home the same day.
Flights have also been re-timed to improve onward connections on to BA’s global network of more than 150 destinations worldwide.
However, one of the factors in helping the BA service to be extended put a spotlight on a looming issue facing air travel connectivity in the Highlands.
BA was clear that it was able to increase flights to Inverness because the airport is exempt from Air Passenger Duty (APD) which it said is stifling growth plans elsewhere.
APD continues to apply to flights departing other Scottish airports, while discussions continue on the exemption for flights leaving Highlands and Islands airports. This has delayed the introduction next year of the Air Departure Tax (ADT), although legislation was passed in 2017.
Inverness Chamber, which is part of the ADT Highlands and Islands Working Group, has made it clear it will be putting the case in the strongest possible terms for the status quo to continue to maintain the region’s competitiveness.
It argues that it needs to keep the exemption to ensure air fares from Inverness do not increase and services are not put at risk. Losing the exemption would not only affect passengers, but also Inverness Airport’s ability to attract more direct flights.
The BA announcement also highlighted the significance of growth in air services due to what Inverness Chamber sees as the inadequacies of both the rail and road networks serving the Highlands.
The Chamber has consistently pressed for improvements to the Highland rail network and feel that hourly trains to Aberdeen and the Central Belt are an absolute essential. Full dualling of the A9 trunk road between Inverness and Perth is also several years away.
It has pledged to work with the Scottish Chambers of Commerce network to maintain pressure on the Scottish Government to improve these vital transport projects as quickly as possible.
Stewart Nicol, Inverness Chamber of Commerce chief executive, said: “Having frequent direct links to Heathrow as part of an overall air service programme at a thriving airport is essential to this area’s growth but we have to be wary of threats that could undermine our competitiveness.
“But we also have to continue to campaign on other transport fronts to make sure progress is not slowed or halted by a lack of momentum on the roads and railways.”
