The chief executive of Heathrow Airport has dubbed the new route with Inverness “use it or lose it”.
John Holland-Kaye stressed the need to get “bums on seats” and called on the community to work together with Heathrow
to make that happen.
British Airways announced plans to revive the daily link between the Highland capital and London hub in November after the service was axed 18 years ago.
Business leaders have hailed the move as game-changing for the region’s economy, which will also benefit from the recently announced £315million city deal.
But Mr Holland-Kaye, who honeymooned in Inverness, warned it was up to everyone to make it work.
He also said more now needed to be done to secure further flights at better times.
And he had a message for the UK Government – calling on David Cameron to “get on and expand Heathrow”.
Paris, he said, had now overtaken the hub because of a lack of capacity, adding: “We have been waiting too long.
“We fight for our place in the world. If we want to make things different – let’s go out and make them different.
“I’m really energised. We shouldn’t accept decline. We should fight for growth.”
Britain was throwing away its competitiveness because of the delay, he concluded.
Salmon is Scotland’s biggest export, he said, yet there is no cargo capacity left on the Heathrow-Tokyo route.
Mr Holland-Kaye’s remarks came at a reception at the Houses of Parliament, hosted by Highland MP Drew Hendry, the SNP’s transport spokesman at Westminster.
Also speaking at the event to celebrate the launch of the new route next month, he said: “We should always look for the next big thing in the Highlands.”
The UK Government has faced repeated accusations of kicking the Airports Commission’s final report – which recommended a third runway at Heathrow – into the long grass.
Mr Cameron had promised a decision by the end of last year, but it was put back to this summer so an environmental impact assessment could be carried out and the “best possible mitigation measures” considered.
