Scottish airports 'have an opportunity to grow independently'
In Scotland, Edinburgh Airport's ceo has called for Scotland to rethink its relationships with London's airports after the UK government delayed a final decision on how to tackle airport capacity in the south east of the country.
Gordon Dewar said Scottish airports no longer needed to think of themselves as feeder airports for London's Heathrow or its rival Gatwick because Scottish airports today are "better connected than they have ever been".
The UK government move to postpone a decision on airport expansion until at least next summer followed a report by Sir Howard Davies, which backed a plan to build a third runway at Heathrow but with restrictions to reduce the environmental and noise effects.
Davies also did not completely rule out another runway at Gatwick or doubling an existing runway at Heathrow.
Reacting to the news of the delay - which has been panned by freight operators, businesses and airlines - Dewar said it must be seen as an opportunity to "rethink our relationship with those airports in the south".
He said: "We have long believed that a new runway at Heathrow is undeliverable and would in any case be a poor choice for Scotland.
"We are where we have been many times before and it is time for new thinking.
"We now have some of the world's largest airlines serving Europe, the Middle East and North America" (flying to Scotland). "Scotland is punching above its weight in the world aviation industry. All of our airports - supported by the Scottish government and others - are better connected than they have ever been.
"We should be confidently standing on our own feet and completely redefining our relationship with Gatwick and Heathrow, and I look forward to building support for that case over the next few months."
Scottish airports 'have an opportunity to grow independently'
In Scotland, Edinburgh Airport's ceo has called for Scotland to rethink its relationships with London's airports after the UK government delayed a final decision on how to tackle airport capacity in the south east of the country.
Gordon Dewar said Scottish airports no longer needed to think of themselves as feeder airports for London's Heathrow or its rival Gatwick because Scottish airports today are "better connected than they have ever been".
The UK government move to postpone a decision on airport expansion until at least next summer followed a report by Sir Howard Davies, which backed a plan to build a third runway at Heathrow but with restrictions to reduce the environmental and noise effects.
Davies also did not completely rule out another runway at Gatwick or doubling an existing runway at Heathrow.
Reacting to the news of the delay - which has been panned by freight operators, businesses and airlines - Dewar said it must be seen as an opportunity to "rethink our relationship with those airports in the south".
He said: "We have long believed that a new runway at Heathrow is undeliverable and would in any case be a poor choice for Scotland.
"We are where we have been many times before and it is time for new thinking.
"We now have some of the world's largest airlines serving Europe, the Middle East and North America" (flying to Scotland). "Scotland is punching above its weight in the world aviation industry. All of our airports - supported by the Scottish government and others - are better connected than they have ever been.
"We should be confidently standing on our own feet and completely redefining our relationship with Gatwick and Heathrow, and I look forward to building support for that case over the next few months."
