HIAL passengers must not suffer due to ATC dispute says Halcro

Following Friday’s news that air traffic controllers across Highlands and Islands Ltd’s (HIAL) network of airports have voted to strike, Scottish Conservative MSP for the Highlands and Islands, Jamie Halcro Johnston, has warned the situation could leave HIAL passengers in the islands “cut off”.

After the announcement from the Prospect trade union of the intention of air traffic controllers to hold industrial action, the MSP said: “Industrial action at HIAL airports across the region has the potential to cause major disruption for passengers.

“Not only will this affect business and leisure travellers, but also could leave island communities, in particular, cut off with few alternatives for quick travel to the mainland. And there are a number of more urgent concerns, such as what would happen with emergency medical transport, as well as patients flying south for pre-arranged medical appointments.

“It is vital that this dispute is resolved before these airports are left with no alternative but to shut down, with passengers across the Highlands and Islands suffering.”

The Prospect union said that, following a ballot of air traffic controllers who are members of the union, 88 per cent had voted for strike action, with 90 per cent backing action short of a strike.

The dispute has come about after the pay rise was sought by the controllers, as they said they were being paid half as much as their counterparts in other areas. However, HIAL and the Scottish Government turned down the request denying this was the case.

Prospect has said action is likely to start in April.