Flights between Wick and Edinburgh 'crucial' for far north, says Jamie Stone
The reinstatement of flights between Wick and Edinburgh is crucial for the far north, according to MP Jamie Stone.
He is delighted the service between Caithness and Aberdeen will be restored next month and operate as a public service obligation (PSO) route but stresses that cannot be the end of the matter.
The Liberal Democrat MP has vowed to continue to fight to try and get further flights operating from Wick John O'Groats Airport, especially the link to Edinburgh.
The Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross MP said: "It is fantastic news to see the Wick to Aberdeen route being re-established but it cannot stop there. I will do everything I can to push the PSO to reinstating more links, especially the link to Edinburgh. I hope that the Scottish Government won't use this initial improvement as a means to an end – the job is not yet done. It's crucial that this funding sees local people connected to the capital and beyond again."
Trudy Morris, chief executive of Caithness Chamber of Commerce, is also keen to see the expansion of air services to and from the Wick airport as the local economy grows. The county was left without scheduled flights after the loss of the Wick/Edinburgh and Wick/Aberdeen routes in 2020.
But now Eastern Airways has been awarded a contract for a year-round service using a low-emission aircraft. It will operate as a PSO, last for three years and will be funded by £1 million from Transport Scotland and £300,000 a year from Highland Council.The move will create around 20 new direct and indirect jobs.
Ms Morris says air travel will play a key role as the north economy grows over the coming years and said future opportunities for "sustainable growth of services will be explored."
She said: "It is clear that there are a huge range of opportunities coming to the north Highlands in the next few years. The recent ScotWind leasing announcement will see up to 25GW of offshore wind farms developed off our coastline, Space Hub Sutherland is gearing up for its first launch to take place in 2022, and developments in hydrogen continue apace. The PSO that has been secured will play a crucial role in enabling all of these developments to take place.
"As the economy of the north Highlands grows in years to come, so will the requirement for transport connectivity to and from the region. It is impossible at this juncture to say what shape that requirement might take, but we envisage air travel playing a key role and will continue to work with partners to explore future opportunities for sustainable growth of services from Wick John O’Groats Airport."
Ms Morris says the Wick to Aberdeen flights meet "all the key needs that were identified – a timetable offering day returns and onward connectivity, with guaranteed pricing and good reliability."
Andy Bruce, who ran Far North Aviation at Wick for many years before retiring, is pleased the Wick to Aberdeen service has been restored but he would like to see political pressure applied to try and get the Wick to Edinburgh flight – previously provided by Loganair – reinstated as well.
"I feel we should be pushing for the restoration of the Wick to Edinburgh service but if that does not happen what about a link from Wick to Kirkwall in Orkney using an Islander plane as was the case in the past. At least, that way we could get a flight to Edinburgh, although it would be a circuitous way to get there," he said.
A phased introduction of flights between Wick and Aberdeen will begin on April 11, with a full service starting two weeks later.