Highlands airports hit by a storm of negatives

SEVERE winter weather and the Icelandic ash cloud cost the operators of the Highlands and Islands’ airports over £2 million, figures released yesterday reveal.

In its annual report, Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd (HIAL), which is owned by the Scottish Government, says it spent £1.9m tackling the winter conditions, while the ash cloud meant £600,000 of lost revenue due to disruptions to air travel.

During the year passenger numbers fell by 61,000 – a 5 per cent drop – to 1,062,748, with numbers at the biggest airport, Inverness, down by 8 per cent to 538,471. The problems followed HIAL losing more than £1m in government grant from a year ago which led to savings been made in operating costs.

But the company says it continues to develop its business in the face of the difficult economic climate. Earlier this month Flybe launched a new Inverness-Amsterdam service, and charter flights between the highland capital and Zurich and Dusseldorf have increased capacity.

The company manages ten airports in the Highlands and Islands – at Barra, Benbecula, Campbeltown, Inverness, Islay, Kirkwall, Stornoway, Sumburgh, Tiree and Wick – as well as Dundee.

Meanwhile, Glasgow Airport yesterday announced an increase in passenger numbers for the eighth consecutive month, with almost 700,000 people passing through the airport in August.