Plans for remote control towers at smaller airports dropped

The Prospect Union welcomed the announcement which will see tower services remain as a centralised surveillance operation comes in.

Hial has said tower services will remain at some of Scotland’s smaller airports (Danny Lawson/PA) (PA Archive)

Plans to introduce remote control towers at some island airports have been dropped following strike action and opposition from local communities.

Highlands and Islands Airports (Hial) said there will be a centralised surveillance operation for Sumburgh, Kirkwall, Stornoway Inverness and Dundee airports, based at its existing approach radar facility on the Inverness airport site.

It 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 previous plan which was to centralise operations in Inverness and introduce remote integrated air traffic control services for Inverness, Dundee, Stornoway, Kirkwall and Sumburgh airports.

This decision is an important one for Prospect members and hopefully brings to an end our long-running dispute with Hial over remote towers

David Avery, Prospect

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 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.