widget/exchange-29
widget/exchange-30widget/exchange-33
widget/exchange-31

Election / Carmichael demands to see report into Kirkwall Airport incident

Aircraft stacked up at Kirkwall airport on Tuesday morning. Photo Gary Robinson

THE LIBERAL Democrats’ election candidate for the Orkney and Shetland seat, Alistair Carmichael, has called on the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to release in full a report into the circumstances why a plane with 33 passengers on board was able to leave Kirkwall Airport without air traffic control clearance in April.

In a letter to Carmichael, who contacted the CAA while sitting as the MP for the Northern Isles, the authority said that there had been “no urgent or immediate safety actions” and that “any findings have been addressed to the satisfaction of the CAA”.

Carmichael, however, described the CAA’s “lack of action” as “troubling” and called on the authority’s chief executive Richard Moriarty to release the report in full, “so that we can know what has been said and done”.

Back in April Shetland News revealed how an Edinburgh-bound Loganair plane took off from Kirkwall Airport late on 5 April after air traffic controllers had already gone home as they were working to rule as part of an ongoing pay dispute with their employers.

offset-carousel/post-mobile/0

CAA steps in as row erupts over Loganair flight

Both Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd (HIAL) and airline Loganair insisted that there had been no breach of rules or aircraft safety.

A whistleblower had told Shetland News that HIAL managers instructed a member of staff to go into the air traffic control tower and switch on the aerodrome lights to allow the plane to take off.

At the time, Carmichael expressed his concern at what he had been told and demanded a full investigation as only a thorough probe of events could get to the truth of what happened.

This investigation has now been completed but its final report has not been published.

The Lib Dem candidate said that transparency was the foundation of trust in aviation safety.

Become a member of Shetland News

 

“It is troubling that the CAA have so easily dismissed these serious allegations,” he said.

“The air traffic incident at Kirkwall Airport cannot be simply waved away by saying that their findings have been addressed. The fact that relevant airport staff are not fully satisfied with the outcome is enough on its own to warrant further examination.

“This is not what we should expect from an independent regulator. The CAA’s role is to hold the aviation industry to account in a frank and open way, to ensure that we can have absolute confidence in the safety of our flights. This is as true of Kirkwall or Sumburgh as it is of Heathrow.”

The CAA declined a request by Shetland News to see the report. A spokesman for the agency added: We have conducted a thorough investigation into the incident at Kirkwall Airport on 5 April, and all necessary measures arising out of that investigation have now been acted upon.

offset-carousel/post-mobile/1

“We have previously advised Mr Carmichael on the outcome of the investigation, and will of course provide him with a response to this most recent letter.”

The other four candidates confirmed to be standing in the Northern Isles are David Barnard (Independent), Coilla Drake (Labour), Jenny Fairbairn (Conservatives) and Robert Leslie (SNP).

Become a member of Shetland News

Shetland News is asking its many readers to consider paying for membership to get additional features and services: -

  • Remove non-local ads;
  • Bookmark posts to read later;
  • Exclusive curated weekly newsletter;
  • Hide membership messages;
  • Comments open for discussion.

If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please become a member of Shetland News by either making a single payment, or setting up a monthly, quarterly or yearly subscription.

 
widget/pd_widget-6widget/pd_widget-7widget/exchange-53widget/exchange-54widget/pd_widget-8widget/exchange-55widget/pd_widget-9widget/exchange-56

Newsletters

Subscribe to a selection of different newsletters from Shetland News, varying from breaking news delivered on the minute, to a weekly round-up of the opinion posts. All delivered straight to your inbox.

Daily Briefing Newsletter Weekly Highlights Newsletter Opinion Newsletter Life in Shetland Newsletter

JavaScript Required

We're sorry, but Shetland News isn't fully functional without JavaScript enabled.
Head over to the help page for instructions on how to enable JavaScript on your browser.

Your Privacy

We use cookies on our site to improve your experience.
By using our service, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy.

Browser is out-of-date

Shetland News isn't fully functional with this version of .
Head over to the help page for instructions on updating your browser for more security, improved speed and the best overall experience on this site.

Interested in Notifications?

Get notifications from Shetland News for important and breaking news.
You can unsubscribe at any time.

Have you considered becoming a member of Shetland News?

If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please consider paying for membership and get the following features and services: -

  • Remove non-local ads;
  • Bookmark posts to read later;
  • Exclusive curated weekly newsletter;
  • Hide membership messages;
  • Comments open for discussion.