PLANS that would have introduced remote control towers for smaller Scottish airports across the mainland and islands have been dropped.
Strike action and opposition of local communities have caused Highlands and Islands Airports (Hial) to drop the plans that would have had a centralised surveillance operation based at its Inverness airport site.
Airports at Sumburgh, Kirkwall, Stornoway, Inverness, and Dundee would have been covered in the centralising operation.
Hial said that air traffic tower services will continue to be provided locally at each of these airports.
Air traffic controllers took strike action last year over Hial’s plan.
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Lorna Jack, Hial’s chairwoman, said: “We’ve listened to the feedback from our colleagues and island communities in reaching our decision.
“This alternative delivery of the Air Traffic Management Strategy (ATMS) programme will provide enhanced safety and resilience to our operations and retain air traffic controllers on the islands.
“While this sets the future strategic direction for the programme, the board recognises that further detailed work will be required with colleagues before a comprehensive business case can be presented to Transport Scotland.
“This will include a review of our island impact assessment.”
In July, six Hial airports were closed for 24 hours as union members walked out over the previous proposal, in an escalation of industrial action which had been going on since January 2021.
Hial said the decision announced on Thursday will now allow the Prospect union to ballot its members on the acceptance of the revised proposal.
The union said the announcement comes after a series of “highly constructive” talks between Prospect and Hial management which began in October 2021.
It said that air traffic services will still be modernised but in a way that protects jobs.
David Avery, Prospect negotiator, said: “This decision is an important one for Prospect members and hopefully brings to an end our long-running dispute with Hial over remote towers.
“We welcome Hial’s commitment to modernising air traffic control services in a way that works for staff, communities and the business.
“I want to thank everyone who has helped us to reach this outcome. It would not have happened without the dedicated campaigning of Prospect members, and without the widespread support of communities and politicians across the affected areas.
“We look forward to working with Hial to bring through these modernisations.”
The Hial board agreed that a further working group should be established to discuss the “future service delivery options” for Benbecula and Wick John O’Groats airports.
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A Transport Scotland spokesman said: “There remains a need to modernise air traffic control in the Highlands and Islands to safeguard long-term air connectivity to some of Scotland’s most remote communities.
“Following discussions with Hial staff and the Prospect union, we understand that a new strategic direction has now been set by Hial that means remote towers will not be part of the solution going forward.
“These new proposals include approach radar which would be provided from Inverness for the airports involved in the programme, while the tower function will be retained at airports that would previously have transitioned to the remote tower centre.
“The Scottish Government expects Hial to share more detail on these proposals and to meet the costs from within the existing envelope identified for this modernisation programme.
“It will also be important to hear the views of Hial’s employees and we understand this new proposal will also be subject to a ballot of Prospect members.”
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