‘Ongoing conversation’ around ‘fair funding’ of inter-island flights

THERE is an “ongoing conversation” around the idea of Shetland Islands Council (SIC) receiving government funding towards the cost of running its inter-island air service.

Chief executive Maggie Sandison said running flights to Fair Isle and Foula is a cost pressure that most other councils do not have, therefore putting the SIC at a disadvantage.

Lobbying for “fair revenue funding” for the inter-island air service featured in a recent list of future SIC savings proposals.

The value of the contract with flight operator Airtask is £1.2 million, while the operating costs of Tingwall Airport is £750,000.

It comes as the council plans an “unsustainable” draw from its reserves for more than £20 million in the next financial year.

Sandison pointed to the “transformative” funding the SIC receives from the Scottish Government to cover the deficit in running its inter-island ferries, which now amounts to more than £23 million a year.

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Running flights however, is not fully funded, but Sandison said the air service is an important part of the transport mix.

“Ferries cannot be the solution for Foula and Fair Isle on their own, so we do need to make sure that they have that same confidence and resilience in that funding stream as our ferries now do,” Sandison said.

The chief executive said the issue is that the Scottish Government does not recognise this as something specific to island authorities.

“Most councils do not run flights, and most councils do not run airports, so that means we have less money available from our government grant for care and education because we do some things that are unique to Shetland, Orkney and the Western Isles,” she said.

Sandison, however, said there have been conversations with the transport minister around the issue of flights.

Shetland Islands Council contracts Airtask to run small islander flights from Tingwall Airport to Fair Isle and Foula.