Improvements to Heathrow could help Highland connectivity

Aviation Minister Baroness Sugg has hailed the continued success for Inverness Airport in benefitting from new global links.

A series of new routes opening up from Dalcross this summer will provide an economic boost for the region, with new flights operating from Inverness to Bergen, Zurich and Majorca, offering passengers new destination options as well as export opportunities for local businesses.

Daily flights to Heathrow from the airport saw 79,000 passengers travelling on the route in 2017, with the figure projected to increase in 2018 with the number of weekly flights set to increase from seven to ten over the summer.

The Aviation Minister met leading businesses in Inverness to discuss how the Highlands could see even greater connectivity with Heathrow expansion.

“With new destinations and increasing numbers of passengers passing through its terminal, Inverness Airport is going from strength to strength"

“With up to 15% of new slots at an expanded Heathrow reserved for domestic flights, it would deliver even more opportunities for greater connectivity across Scotland, benefitting both passengers and businesses"

“We’ve already seen a big increase in tourism and exports following the introduction of a new Heathrow flight in 2016, and we want the vibrant city of Inverness to see an economic boost through the growth of its high performing businesses and more visitors to the cultural capital of the Highlands.”

Inverness and other Scottish airports could benefit from strengthened routes to Heathrow with expansion which improve connectivity for passengers and businesses and boost the regional economy.  Goods and services exported from Scotland valued a total of £29.8bn through over 12,000 exporters last year. Latest figures show Inverness Airport’s total passenger numbers increased by 92,000 last year, further illustrating the airport’s popularity and increasingly important role as a driver for the Highland region and economy.

Minister met the Inverness Chamber of Commerce and other businesses such as Jacobite Cruises and Moray's Gordon & MacPhail.

HIAL managing director Inglis Lyon, said: “When the Heathrow flight was reintroduced in 2016 we were confident of its success and the impressive increase in passenger numbers in the years since its reintroduction shows that demand is very much there. Only by continued investment in services and infrastructure will be secure our future growth.”

Following the launch of a route between the Scottish Airport and Heathrow in 2016, the city has benefited from more than £8 million per year as a result of tourism according to the Inverness Chamber of Commerce. 

The UK Parliament will vote later this year on proposals for expanding capacity at Heathrow.