Long term funding for flights from Wick John O’Groats Airport is essential if Caithness and the wider north Highlands are to attract investment, retain people and realise their economic potential, MSP David Green has told the Scottish Parliament.
The Caithness, Sutherland and Ross MSP used a Holyrood debate on Thursday 1 October to welcome funding for services linking Wick with Aberdeen and Glasgow, while warning that communities cannot continue relying on year to year decisions about routes he described as a necessity rather than a luxury.
Funding was secured during the summer to maintain the services until August 2027, but Green wants ministers to move towards a multiyear approach which would give passengers, businesses and operators greater certainty.
He thanked the Scottish Government for its investment alongside Highland Council, North Highland Chamber of Commerce, Air Charter Scotland and others involved in securing the agreement.
Green told MSPs that reliable air connections have a much wider role than simply reducing journey times, with businesses relying on them to attract and retain staff while residents can use them to reach essential services including healthcare.
He said:
“As one of the most rural mainland regions in the country, reliable air connectivity is not just a luxury for people in Caithness and the wider north Highlands, it is a necessity.”
Green also pointed towards the economic opportunities facing the north Highlands, including clean energy, the transition from oil and gas and continuing work at Dounreay, arguing that investment and employment depend partly on reliable connections with the rest of Scotland.
Tourism and the longer term sustainability of rural communities are also part of that argument, with Green saying better transport connections make it easier for people to find work, access services and choose to remain in or move to the far north.
The withdrawal of commercial air services in 2020 demonstrated the vulnerability of the area to transport isolation, with Green arguing that improved digital connections cannot replace the physical movement of people and skills.
He said:
“We cannot expect communities, businesses and passengers to live from year to year, relying on short-term PSO support and wondering whether these vital routes will still be there in the years ahead.
“If we are serious about delivering economic growth across every part of Scotland and ensuring people can access essential services, we need to ensure create certainty for these routes.
“Multi-year funding is, I believe, essential to guarantee confidence in these vital connections, allowing communities, businesses and operators to plan for the long term rather than having to face uncertainty every year.
“So, I welcome the Government’s investment, I thank everyone who has worked to secure it, and I urge Scottish Ministers to build on this progress and bring forward that long-term strategy with the Far North at its heart.”
Green’s contribution formed part of a wider parliamentary debate on regional aviation, with MSPs considering how Scotland can create a more resilient and sustainable network for communities where flying can provide an essential transport connection.
For Caithness, the immediate future of the Wick routes has been secured, but Green’s argument is that the far north now needs to move beyond another temporary reprieve and towards the certainty of knowing those connections will remain for years to come.
