"Scottish airport vanishes from vision of the future"

Wednesday, July 21, 2004

City airport vanishes from vision of the future
UNITED KINGDOM - THE ABERDEEN PRESS & JOURNAL


A Row raged last night over the omission of Inverness from an official
map of the major airports of the UK.

The map, produced by the Department of Transport, illustrates the white
paper The Future of Transport unveiled last night by Transport Secretary
Alistair Darling spelling out his vision of transport needs for the next
30 years.

The glaring omission of Inverness was highlighted in a Commons protest
by Liberal Democrat transport spokesman John Thurso, MP for Caithness,
Sutherland and Easter Ross.

He said later: "I made a light-hearted comment but this underlines the
serious point that London forgets about the needs of the far north." Lib
Dem leader Charles Kennedy, MP for Ross, Skye and Inverness West, said:
"This is an indication of our London-centric Government, which finds it
difficult to look outside the M25 and does not understand how important
Inverness Airport is to my constituents and the Highland economy."
Councillor Charlie King, chairman of Hitrans, the pan-Highland transport
pressure group, said: "This is an insult to the Highlands and a slap in
the face for those campaigning to secure air links between Inverness and
Heathrow and Gatwick that we are not even recognised in Westminster.

"It is a pretty sad indication of the notice they are taking of all the
work we are doing." Inverness and District Chamber of Commerce director
Simon Cole Hamilton said: "There is a serious point behind this in that
Inverness Airport is a hub airport for a large part of the UK land mass
and ought to feature in any national review of this kind.

"It is particularly important in view of our campaign for access to
London airports. I hope it is an oversight - but it's certainly a
regrettable one." Highlands and Islands SNP MSP Jim Mather said:
"Inverness is the capital of the Highlands, glorying in its hard-earned
city status and thoroughly deserves to be on the map.

"This is further evidence that we need more autonomy in Scotland
because, no matter how well-disposed our neighbours are, they are not
going to give priority to promoting our locations." Inverness East Nairn
and Lochaber Labour MP David Stewart, Commons aide to Mr Darling in his
role as Scottish secretary, said: "Alistair made it clear during his
statement that Inverness Airport is a strategically important airport.

"The white paper included specific reference to Inverness, including
plans to extend the runway." Highlands and Islands Tory MSP Mary Scanlon
claimed: "For both of them to snub Inverness is unforgivable, given its
position as the hub airport for the Highlands." Mr Darling tried to
brush off the omission as a joke. He said only important airports were
supposed to be on the map and complained about the absence of Stornoway
- which he promised to reinstate as soon as possible because he planned
to fly to the Western Isles next month.

Lord Thurso said Wick and Kirkwall were missing as well.

He said later he had been surprised at the omission of Inverness because
it had a number of scheduled services.

The only airports shown in the north and north-east are Aberdeen and
Sumburgh. Dundee and Lerwick are also omitted.

Dundee East Labour MP Iain Luke said the city was shown as a major
seaport and he could understand that its airport ranked too low to be
shown.

The row was reminiscent of the wrangle when a Strategic Rail Authority
map of the UK's rail network's omitted the east coast line from
Edinburgh via Dundee to Aberdeen. It is shown on Mr Darling's new map,
entitled Major Ports, Airports and Railways in Great Britain.

Mr Darling is in the middle of a consultation exercise on the need to
protect air services between remote regional airports like Inverness and
London.


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