Stop Inverness Airport Expansion

Despite the climate catastrophe we are facing, Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd is proposing a major expansion to Inverness airport. This will be bad for the environment and bad for communities. Join us in calling on the Scottish Government to halt this reckless proposal and invest more money in our rail system instead..

Highland and Islands Airports Ltd is proposing to expand Inverness Airport. The plan predicts a doubling of passenger numbers from around 0.8m in 2018 to 1.8m by 2045, increasing air traffic movements by around 50% from 2015-2045.

Inverness Airport is more than adequate when it comes to providing necessary life-line services across the Highlands and Islands. As we build a recovery from COVID, instead of driving growth in air traffic it’s vital that we prioritise accessible connectivity through improving our bus and train network.

The proposal includes an expanded runway to cater for bigger aircraft, and either expanding the existing terminal (£31m), or building a new one at the cost of £55m, with an extra £7m for new car-parks and the runway extension.

This would be a reckless use of money during the climate emergency, and especially when we should be prioritising better bus and train services for the Highlands. This decision would push us further into a Climate emergency and be bad for the environment and bad for our communities.

Please take action now.

Email the Transport Secretary to oppose the proposed expansion of Inverness Airport

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Dear Michael Matheson, Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity,

I am writing to express my opposition to the proposed expansion of Inverness Airport.

This proposal predicts a doubling of passenger numbers, which would have a big cost for the environment and infrastructure. Increasing air travel is not sustainable and if Scottish Government targets on climate change reductions are to be met there will have to be a massive shift on spending from air to rail and coach. The proposal assumes a large increase in UK domestic air travel, which is simply not going to happen if the Government acts on its climate emission reduction plans.

The focus on short-haul flights is particularly in conflict with government policies and its commitment to the Paris Agreement. The predictions also do not seem to take into account the expectation that COVID will cause a continuing drop in air passenger transport for several years to come.

Inverness Airport is more than adequate when it comes to providing necessary life-line services across the Highlands and Islands, and the money that would be used to fund this expansion would be better spent on improving public transport in the region.

Small scale environmental and sustainability improvements, such as recycling water on site and moving to zero waste, whilst in themselves worth pursuing, are totally inadequate to compensate for any significant increase in numbers of take off and landings.

The plan gives no indication of how the airport intends to reduce its carbon emissions in line with Scottish government targets. HIAL should focus its efforts on how it is to meet government targets, rather than expansion. The additional noise pollution and inconvenience to local residents from the extra road traffic planned are simply not addressed in the plan.

As we build a recovery from COVID, instead of driving growth in air traffic we should be prioritising sustainable transport and giving people across the region the transport infrastructure that has so-often been promised but not delivered.

Your sincerely,

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