ATC centralisation – Council calls for pause until full assessment is undertaken

Orkney Islands Council is calling for a halt to moves by Highland and Islands Airports Limited to press ahead with plans to centralise air traffic control operations – at least until a full Islands Impact Assessment is carried out.

“We need to fully understand the impact on our community before any decision is made to create a remote air traffic control centre in Inverness,” said Councillor Graham Sinclair, chair of OIC’s Development and Infrastructure Committee.

“So it is disappointing that the Government and HIAL have disregarded a call by this Council, and others, for them to undertake an Islands Impact Assessment before by moving ahead with their plans.

“We asked for this earlier in the year and expected the assessment to be completed before HIAL began to undertake a procurement process.”

Councillor Sinclair added: “An immense amount of work was undertaken before the passing of the Islands (Scotland) Act to ensure that Islands Impact Assessments would be carried out to give communities like ours a say when major changes such as this are proposed.

“This appears to have been ignored on this occasion, which is why we are asking for the process to be paused until an assessment is undertaken.”