Air travel discount scheme for 8 Scottish island areas to be made ‘fairer’ as aviation plan branded 'hot air'

The Scottish Government is to carry out a review of the Air Discount Scheme (ADS) that offers lower-cost flights to people living in remote areas and island communities, with a view to making it “fairer and more effective”.

The pledge is detailed in a new aviation plan unveiled on Wednesday, which also proposes purchasing electric and hydrogen powered aircraft for use on lifeline routes.

But amid ongoing criticism of Scotland’s efforts to decarbonise the aviation sector, the new plan offers scant updates around a proposed Air Departure Tax (ADT), regarded by many as a key tool in Scotland’s efforts to drive down emissions.

In its most recent assessment of the situation in Scotland, the independent Climate Change Committee (CCC) warned improvements to cutting emissions in “aviation and shipping sectors needs to increase by a factor of nine in the nine years from 2021 to 2030”, and pointed to the lack of any strategy for decarbonising the sector.

However, the new aviation statement is billed as a framework through which to balance growth with the nation’s net zero commitments, and promises to “help grow Scotland’s international connectivity”, secure lifeline services in the Highlands and Islands, and “play its part in international efforts to decarbonise aviation”.

The 17-page document states a review of the ADS initiative will be reviewed so as to “consider how it could be made fairer and more effective, and to ensure it is providing value for money”.

The scheme, which provides residents of Shetland, Orkney, the Western Isles, Islay, Jura, Colonsay, Caithness and north-west Sutherland with a 50 per cent discount on the core air fare on eligible services, was first introduced in 2006.

The Scottish Government has published a strategy to boost the aviation sector while meeting key net zero targets. Picture: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

The aviation statement also states that to help meet the 2040 target for net zero domestic flights, the Government will also consider buying hydrogen or electric aircraft for use on Public Service Obligation routes to replace aircraft owned by Highlands and Islands Airports Limited (HIAL).

It notes it will support HIAL in considering how to develop the infrastructure, equipment, and training needed for such aircraft, but later adds the Government could not offer public funding for such infrastructure “without understanding how this is being planned for and funded by the sector itself”.

On the contentious issue of the ADT, the document states the Government “continues to explore all options to implement ADT in a way that protects Highlands and Islands connectivity and complies with the UK government’s subsidy control regime”.

But Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie said: “The Scottish Government is trying to have it both ways on aviation, pretending they can get lower emissions with more flights. The only way to reduce the damage done by aviation is to cut the demand for flights. Anything else is simply hot air and environmental window dressing.”

BARRA, SCOTLAND - JUNE 4: The plane carrying the coffin of Eilidh MacLeod arrives at Traigh Mhor beach near Barra airport on June 4, 2017 in Barra, Scotland. The body of the Manchester bomb victim was flown home to the devastated community on the island of Barra ahead of her funeral. The 14-year-old was among 22 people who died in the terrorist attack at the Ariana Grande concert on Monday May 22, which also left dozens injured. Photo by Andrew Milligan - WPA Pool / Getty Images)

Graham Simpson from the Scottish Conservatives said: “Both governments now need to set out how they will ensure that sustainable aviation fuel is made at scale in the UK - including at Grangemouth - and how we can ramp up the production and use of hydrogen. This document does not do that."