The UK Government’s decision to back Heathrow over Gatwick was hailed by business leaders across the north and north-east last night.
Both Aberdeen and Inverness airports welcomed the news as did the two regions’ chambers of commerce, albeit with a note of caution.
Inglis Lyon, managing director of Highlands and Islands Airports Limited, said it was the “right decision for Scotland” and an “important step forward”.
He also indicated Heathrow’s expansion would pave the way for a second daily flight to and from Inverness, but acknowledged there was still a long way to go.
A spokesman for Aberdeen Airport said it had consistently supported a third runway at Heathrow on the basis of the opportunities for onward connectivity.
But he added: “It is imperative that an expanded Heathrow delivers further access for Aberdeen.”
James Bream, research and policy director at Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce, described it as a “positive move” for the UK’s competitiveness at a time when business activity and investor confidence needed to be “safeguarded from uncertainty”.
But he also approached the news with a large helping of sarcastic disbelief, remarking: “Finally – a decision. Has the procrastination ended at last?”
And he insisted, while the government had appeared to have “grasped the nettle”, it would keep the pressure on.
He added: “There will be more consultations in the new year and we will be vocal in our efforts to ensure real progress is made.”
Inverness Chamber of Commerce chief executive, Stewart Nicol, said he was delighted, but described the step as just the start of a very long process.
He told the Press and Journal he ultimately hoped for a “multi-rotation connection” between Heathrow and Inverness.
Fraser Grieve, Highlands and Islands director at the Scottish Council for Development and Industry, said it would be important to ensure commercially viable domestic routes were not squeezed out as the new capacity at Heathrow filled up.
UK pilots also welcomed the “long overdue” decision, but voiced concerns it would be another year until the final Commons vote.
Similarly, Liz Cameron, chief executive of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce, criticised the timetable as an “another unnecessary delay” to delivering the “vital infrastructure”.
A Heathrow spokesman said the airport stood ready to secure the benefits of expansion “for the whole of the UK”.
Gatwick chief executive Stewart Wingate was unsurprisingly disappointed at the decision, insisting the “challenges” facing Heathrow had not changed.
