widget/exchange-29
widget/exchange-30widget/exchange-33
widget/exchange-31

News / Transport minister says Sumburgh Airport car park charge the ‘only option’ to avoid cuts

SCOTTISH transport minister Humza Yousaf has said introducing a car parking charge at the loss-making Sumburgh Airport is the “only option” if services are to be kept at their current level.

He said during a visit to Shetland on Friday that adding 40p to the landing charge for airlines which has been mooted as an alternative to the parking fee isn’t viable because it would mean Loganair would have to cut back its flight timetable.

The MSP also confirmed that he has offered to hold discussions with Shetland Islands Council (SIC) on how to make public transport links to Sumburgh Airport more reliable.

Shetland MSP Tavish Scott said after meeting Yousaf that the board of government owned Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd (HIAL) should “stand up for their airports” and ask for more money to run its services instead of charging for parking (see video clip).

offset-carousel/post-mobile/0

HIAL announced in March that it will introduce a £3 a day parking charge at its Sumburgh, Kirkwall and Stornoway airports from July.

Not only did the plans themselves come under fire, but so did HIAL’s lack of consultation – with the public only now being questioned about the proposals.

Sumburgh Airport’s annual deficit is usually between £400,000 and £600,000 and while Yousaf admitted a car parking charge would be unpopular, he described it as the “only option”.

The minister, who met Scott alongside members of the SIC to discuss the matter, said that the airport had to be run sustainably.

“HIAL have looked at various options, but in order to make sure that Sumburgh is operating at less of a loss – it is operating at a loss at the moment – [and] to reduce that deficit, to not cut services, then the only option is to bring in car parking charges,” he said.

Become a member of Shetland News

 

“What they will consult on, and what they’re doing at the moment, is saying look, where are there possible concessions to be made? Tavish Scott today gave me some suggestions on where those concessions could come in. HIAL should be open minded to that.”

Yousaf said that he has heard representations from the council that the public transport to the airport is “not good”.

“I’ve said to the council that I’m happy to have a discussion with you to see how we can better public transport to the airport.”

Become a member of Shetland News

Shetland News is asking its many readers to consider paying for membership to get additional features and services: -

  • Remove non-local ads;
  • Bookmark posts to read later;
  • Exclusive curated weekly newsletter;
  • Hide membership messages;
  • Comments open for discussion.

If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please become a member of Shetland News by either making a single payment, or setting up a monthly, quarterly or yearly subscription.

 
Categories
widget/exchange-62widget/pd_widget-6widget/exchange-53widget/pd_widget-7widget/exchange-63widget/exchange-54widget/pd_widget-8widget/exchange-55widget/pd_widget-9widget/exchange-56

Newsletters

Subscribe to a selection of different newsletters from Shetland News, varying from breaking news delivered on the minute, to a weekly round-up of the opinion posts. All delivered straight to your inbox.

Daily Briefing Newsletter Weekly Highlights Newsletter Opinion Newsletter Life in Shetland Newsletter

JavaScript Required

We're sorry, but Shetland News isn't fully functional without JavaScript enabled.
Head over to the help page for instructions on how to enable JavaScript on your browser.

Your Privacy

We use cookies on our site to improve your experience.
By using our service, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy.

Browser is out-of-date

Shetland News isn't fully functional with this version of .
Head over to the help page for instructions on updating your browser for more security, improved speed and the best overall experience on this site.

Interested in Notifications?

Get notifications from Shetland News for important and breaking news.
You can unsubscribe at any time.

Have you considered becoming a member of Shetland News?

If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please consider paying for membership and get the following features and services: -

  • Remove non-local ads;
  • Bookmark posts to read later;
  • Exclusive curated weekly newsletter;
  • Hide membership messages;
  • Comments open for discussion.