Highlands and Islands Airport's Annual Report (3MB pdf - Scottish ...

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Tim Smith
Regional Manager South
Overseeing the
management of Barra,
Benbecula, Campbeltown,
Islay and Tiree airports.
YOUR AIRPORTS
HIAL manages 11 airports across Scotland. These airports are
community assets, serving the needs of local people and visitors
alike, enabling efficient and effective business and leisure travel.
Each of the airports is locally managed by a team of professionals
who will always put your safety and travel needs first.
Barra
This is one of the ‘must visit’ airports –
there is nowhere else in Europe where
the beach (“An Tràigh Mhòr”, or in English
“The Big Beach”) is a runway. The airport
featured on the BBC2 documentary
“An Island Parish” which has helped create
awareness of this stunning island and the
people who live there. There are regular
flights to Glasgow and Benbecula from
Barra, operated by Loganair. In addition to
passengers, the aircraft carries freight and
the local newspapers are brought in daily.
Another business which benefits from the
airport is the local bus operator, which
varies its timetable to meet the aircraft
arrivals and departures which in turn
depend on the timing of the tides.
Bi busaichean Chlann MhicNèill a’ coinneachadh na hitealain
a bhios a’ tighinn à Glaschu agus Beinn na
Faoghla aig Port Àthair Eilean Bharraigh. Bi sinn a’ toirt
luchd-turais a tha a’ tadhal oirnne bho iomadh ceàrn den
t-saoghail, a bharrachd air luchd siubhail ionadail, gun
ceann-uidhe. Tha sinn ag obair gu dlùth leis an sgioba aig
a’ phort àthair gus dèanamh cinnteach gu bheil an tseirbheis
a’ ruith cho rèith sa ghabhas.
Benbecula
Benbecula is part of the Outer Hebrides
located in between the North & South
Uists. There are no direct ferry services to
the mainland, therefore the daily Loganair
flights to Glasgow, Stornoway and Barra
offer key life-line services to the local
community. Benbecula has a long military
history, and the Hebrides Range army
base control centre is located at the airport
which necessitates close partnership
working during various military trials
throughout the year. There are 37 people
employed at the airport, a significant
employer for the island, and in 2010
unusually 2 brothers were promoted to
Crew Manager posts within the local team.
The airport cafe is operated by a local
business and in addition to serving home
made produce often has some impromptu
music sessions.
MacNeils Coaches meet the planes from Glasgow and
Benbecula at Barra airport. We collect passengers from
all over the world for their holidays as well as our local
travellers. We work closely with the local airport team to
ensure we offer a joined up customer service.
Hector MacNeil, MacNeil Coaches
Campbeltown
A scheduled Loganair service runs
between Glasgow and Campbeltown on
weekdays, which gives a faster alternative
to the journey by road via the stunning
Kintyre peninsula. HIAL currently lease
the airport land from the MOD. In 2010
the land was put up for sale and the local
community trust are developing a funding
package with local agencies to try and
purchase the land, with a number of new
land use enterprises being planned. The
buy out is at an early stage, but HIAL
have been involved in a number of local
meetings to support and advise the
community initiative. The potential for the
renewable energy sector is important to
this area, with a wind farm manufacturing
business based here.
Islay
Transporting over 26,000 business and
leisure travellers to and from Islay per
year, Loganair operates daily services to
Glasgow, and in June 2010 Hebridean
Air services commenced operating flights
to Oban and the small island of Colonsay,
carrying over 600 passengers, including
Health Board and distillery workers. Islay
airport is very much part of the island
community and the local airport teams’
Annual Air Show in August, raised over
£4000 for the Museum of Islay Life.
A number of private planes like to use
this airport, especially throughout the
summer, when visitors want to visit
distilleries – there are 8 on the island –
or watch the many species of birdlife.
Our passengers enjoy a variety of benefits when travelling to and from
Inverness Airport - which acts as the perfect gateway to the fascinating
Scottish Highlands. Our passengers always comment on the excellent
range of airport facilities which provide an excellent beginning and end
to their travels. The Falcon Travel team appreciate the great
relationship it has with Highlands & Islands Airports.
Ingrid Volmer, Falcon Travel
Tiree
The airport management are keeping up
to date with developments on the planning
of the array of off-shore wind farm
developments, as if the Scottish Southern
Renewables development goes ahead, it
could have a major impact on the airports
business. There are regular scheduled
flights from Glasgow and Oban, serving
the islands’ population, which currently
stands at less than 900. Tourism and
crofting are the main sources of employment
and both benefit from the above UKaverage
of total hours of sunshine this island enjoys.
We work very closely with the RSPB who
leases land from the airport due to the
diverse range of wildlife that can be
found here.
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