The Kintyre Forum

The current Public Service Obligation contract between Transport Scotland and Loganair for air service between Glasgow and Campbeltown expires in April 2013. Transport Scotland is currently considering terms for a contract renewal or extension and will be finalizing its recommendations to Ministers in the next few weeks. The current contract provides for two return flights Monday through Friday only—with no service on the weekends. Campbeltown is the only HIAL airport that does not have weekend service.

We strongly believe that the new or extended contract should include weekend service.

As we all know, southern Kintyre is at a significant disadvantage with respect to transportation linkages. It not only has limited air service, but has no direct ferry service and road access via the A83 has the problems we are all only too well aware of. Improved transport is critical to the future of Kintyre—it would benefit tourism as well as other sectors of the economy and would also improve the quality of life for residents of the area. Increased air service with weekend flights would be a very strong step in improving the transportation situation.

If you are interested in seeing air service to Campbeltown improved, please contact any or all of the following individuals as soon as possible to encourage their support for expanded air service as part of the new or extended contract:
- Michael Russell, Member of Scottish Parliament for Argyll & Bute Constituency Michael.Russell.msp@scottish.parliament.uk

- Keith Brown, Minister for Transport and Housing (he'll be making the decision about any changes to the air services contract) Keith.Brown.msp@scottish.parliament.uk

- Fergus Ewing, Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Tourism (who will have an interest in the development of Kintyre as a tourist destination) Fergus.Ewing.msp@scottish.parliament.uk

- Nicola Sturgeon, Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure and Capital Spending Nicola.Sturgeon.msp@scottish.parliament.uk

- Ken Crawford, Head of Aviation, Transport Scotland

Since Transport Scotland will be making its recommendations to Ministers in the next few weeks, it is important that you contact these individuals as soon as possible so that our voices will be heard on this important issue!

I see there is a report in the most recent Courier about getting a weekend air service, Sunday evening at least. I used the service weekly between 1990 and 1992 when I was working in Amsterdam. Then schedules changed (maybe other airlines' schedules, not necessarily Loganair's) and it was unusable for me. Since then I have had long contracts in Amsterdam, Belgium and Paris and I have never been able to use this service. This is because the morning flight leaves Campbeltown too late in the morning to catch any convenient onward connections at Glasgow, particularly since the transfer time has been increased to cater for increased security. Even for someone working in London, arrival in the capital is too late to get a flight to get to work at a reasonable time. For anyone working abroad, taking the one hour time difference into consideration, the situation is even worse. Coming back, the afternoon flight leaves Glasgow too early and anyone trying to catch the flight from connections starting in London or Europe would have to start their journey too early and not be able to work at all that day, eg. Friday. In fact, I wonder how difficult it must be for people attending hospital appointments in Glasgow when the morning flight arrives so late in Glasgow and the afternoon flight leaves so early. I have written to Loganair before about this and getting a weekend service but was told there was no demand.

This latest proposal, as reported in the Courier, talks about a Sunday evening flight only but any golfers or others wishing to use it would only get back to Glasgow too late in the evening to make a transfer to an onward flight. Is there a presumption that visiting golfers will only be coming from the Glasgow area? Surely not - they would just drive down.