McArthur leads debate on regional aviation strategy for Highlands and Islands
Orkney's MSP Liam McArthur has today led a debate in the Scottish Parliament on the need for a regional strategy for aviation in the Highlands and Islands.
In opening the debate, Mr McArthur called for the Transport Secretary to show ‘strong and sustained leadership’ to ensure any review delivers meaningful reform at pace.
Mr McArthur highlighted the recent instability in the flight network which saw Inverness services to the islands cut and cited concerns raised by members of Orkney Visually Impaired People's Group about difficulties in getting to ophthalmology appointments at the national treatment centre in Inverness.
In the face of service reductions and price rises, Orkney’s MSP said a long-term strategy was urgently needed to ensure that lifeline routes were affordable, accessible and reliable and met the needs of the communities who rely upon them.
Mr McArthur also reiterated his invitation to the Cabinet Secretary to visit Orkney to view a prototype lifting device that would allow people with mobility issues to access the Islander aircraft. Having pursued this issue over the past few years, following concerns raised by North Ronaldsay local residents, Mr McArthur welcomed news that a potential solution may now be close at hand.
Commenting afterwards, Mr McArthur said:
"Cuts to the Inverness routes this summer exposed the vulnerability of these lifeline air services. I welcome the fact that these have been reinstated but the threat remains, while we are also seeing services merged or reduced across the network. So we cannot continue with this managed decline.
“I welcome the Transport Secretary's engagement to date and the strong cross-party support there has been for charting a new way forward. I also pay tribute to the work already done by HITRANS, ZetTRANS and others in developing proposals, drawing on the experience elsewhere in the world.
"While good progress has been made, however, it is vital that the Cabinet Secretary continues to give strong and sustained leadership to this process. Without that any recommendations risk being left on the shelf. This review must lead to meaningful action.
"We know that the current network is failing our island communities, whether through unaffordable fares, consolidation of key routes or a lack of physical accessibility. Loganair have been clear too, that without further investment down the line, routes may once again be under threat.
"Good progress has been made in recent months and today’s debate demonstrated the strong cross-party commitment to developing and delivering a long term strategy for air services across the region. But threats remain in the short term and I will continue to press the Scottish Government as well as Loganair to ensure the interests of islanders are protected."