Drop-off charges

I SEE the torrent of criticism levelled at Edinburgh Airport for its proposed drop-off charge has forced Malcolm Robertson of BAA in London to intervene (Letters, 3 August).

His central argument is that customers should expect to pay for bigger and better facilities. BAA does deserve credit for its consistent and sustained investment, which has seen Edinburgh Airport grow from a small regional airport into one of the UK's largest.

However, the reality is that airport customers already pay for its investments, through the airport charges that airlines add to the cost of tickets, through the money spent in the airport's shops and the significant income obtained through car parking.

Mr Robertson argues that the new charge is essential to bridge a gap between the airport's profits and its investment plans. However, the estimated 1 million income from the new drop-off charge will do little to bridge such a gap. Can we therefore expect a new security charge to pay for the airport's recently opened new security zone?

Will there be a "drop-in" charge for entering the new departure lounge? What about a charge for using a lift, or an escalator or even a toilet? Mr Robertson's letter will have only reinforced the worry that this new drop-off charge represents the thin end of BAA's wedge.

Mr Robertson states that no MSP has offered up alternative suggestions on how to pay for the required investment. Perhaps he should seek the business expertise of his own company colleagues in Aberdeen, Glasgow, Heathrow, Stansted and Southampton airports, all of whom are delivering their own ambitious investment plans without resorting to a drop-off charge.

It is not often that an issue unites all political parties in the Scottish Parliament. Despite these tribal political times, BAA has achieved that unity.

MARGARET SMITH

MSP Edinburgh West

There is more than a little irony in the opposition by Lothian MSPs Gavin Brown and Margaret Smith to drop-off charges at Edinburgh Airport.

The government which comprises their parties is proposing to reform air passenger duty and replace it with a "per plane levy", meaning airlines would be charged per plane in order to incentivise them to fly with full aircrafts.

Airlines are already struggling with record fuel prices and, while initially this policy may appear to remove financial burden directly from passengers, ultimately the airlines will still need to manage this cost so it will inadvertently be passed on to consumers.And as the proposal is to dramatically increase air passenger duty later on this year, whether it is replaced or not it will still see a huge airport tax rise on everyone using a Scottish airport.

In addition, a per plane tax is likely to have an impact on certain flights from Scottish airports where routes may be cut as planes are not filled, and it is also likely to be environmentally and economically damaging as there is a financial incentive for customers to fly via continental hubs rather than through UK airports in order to avoid increased taxation.

Conservative and Liberal Democrat MSPs should be lobbying their Westminster colleagues to prevent the implementation of this potentially damaging measure on Scottish flights.

ALEX ORR

Leamington Terrace

Edinburgh