TWO island MSPs have announced they will work together on a cross-party basis to improve regional air transport in northern Scotland after several routes saw their frequency reduced.
The collaboration will see the SNP's representative for Shetland, Hannah Mary Goodlad, and Kristopher Leask, Scottish Greens MSP for the Highlands and Islands region, working towards a better integrated transport system in northern Scotland.
Their initiative will also involve regional transport bodies like Loganair in order to map out the first steps to establish a northern Scotland air transport plan.
As of Sunday, July 19, weekday services on the Sumburgh-Kirkwall-Inverness routes have been temporarily scrapped, with weekend operations still running, while services on the Stornoway-Inverness routes continue to run daily, but at a reduced frequency.
The Scottish airliner said that "after reviewing all operational and financial options, we can no longer sustain the current level of service without impacting the wider business."
A Loganair spokesperson previously said: "If appropriate support becomes available, we will welcome the opportunity to restore the full winter timetable.
“Our focus now is on protecting essential connectivity and ensuring customers have clear information about the revised schedule.”
The company added that if it is able to secure additional funding, it will look at reinstating the original schedule from October onwards.
Commenting after a meeting with Goodlad, Leask said: "The time is right to move beyond reacting to individual route changes and instead establish a clear, long-term vision for the role of aviation within Scotland's transport system.
"All the pieces of the puzzle are there to build an aviation network for the North that works. The challenge is bringing those pieces together and being creative enough to find a sustainable solution."
Goodlad added: "However you look at it, enormous amounts of public money are going into the current system – the Air Discount Scheme, the impact on the NHS, subsidies for the Scottish Government-owned Highlands and Island's Airports Limited (HIAL), and the wider economic impact across our islands.
"We need to be asking ourselves: is this working? Are we getting the best value for money? And if not, how can we improve this?"
The pair believe that the answer lies in creating an integrated Highlands and Islands air network that delivers equitable access to healthcare, employment, education and public services, supports sustainable economic growth, and provides island and remote rural communities with levels of connectivity comparable to those enjoyed elsewhere in Scotland.
Goodlad concluded: "In other words, it's time to get this right for the North."
