Failing to gain altitude: How Scotland's aviation sector fears further turbulence after being grounded by Covid pandemic

Airports are again alive with the sound of travellers – whose itineraries now include jumping through Covid-related logistical hoops to enjoy, say, long-overdue catch-ups with relatives living overseas, or a much-needed break in sunnier climes.

But aviation remains in many ways on the tarmac after a turbulent period brought about by the outbreak of Covid-19 – and doubts over when it will be cleared for take-off to reach previous heights.

Just a few months into the pandemic, in July 2020, Unite launched its Save Scotland’s Airports campaign – and three months later the skies didn’t seem much clearer, with the union viewing the sector as “teetering on the brink”.

UK airports as a whole lost out on revenue of £2.6 billion between April and September last year alone, and stand to lose at least the same again this year, according to the Airport Operators Association (AOA).

Edinburgh Airport, for example, says it is operating at only 25 per cent of its capacity - and at a loss. Picture: Lisa Ferguson.

The latter’s boss Karen Dee says regarding the situation north of the Border: “Our airports have been one of the most affected sectors, with passenger numbers falling to historically low levels.

"At the start of the year, the Scottish Government took a more restrictive approach than the rest of the UK, with hotel quarantine for all international arrivals ... this hit Scottish airports harder than those in other parts of the UK.

"When reopening was finally possible towards the end of the Scottish school holidays, it was combined with an onerous, burdensome and expensive testing regime that has left summer holidays beyond many families.

“As a result, as summer draws to a close, we have seen a second lost summer, which has been devastating for the sector, but has also put the brakes on our recovery. Our sector has been left behind as the rest of the economy reopens.”

Also sending out a mayday call is Edinburgh Airport, with a spokesman stressing the onerous impact of the pandemic on aviation.

“We were the first to feel its effects as travel across the globe ground to a halt – and its impact will be with us far longer than most,” the spokesman said.

The transport hub welcomed 14.7 million fliers in 2019, to in 2020 handling a little under 3.5 million – a reduction estimated to have cost the Scottish economy £1 billion, and more than 21,000 jobs last year.

Sky-high costs