- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 June 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 16 June 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive how many new air services from Scottish airports were initially subject to support from the Route Development Fund.
Answer
A total of 27 year-round routeshave been supported by the Route Development Fund since the inception of the schemeby the Scottish Executive.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 June 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 16 June 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what the percentage change in air passenger numbers using Kirkwall and Stornoway has been since the introduction of Sunday air services.
Answer
Passenger numbers using Kirkwall and Stornoway Airports in 2004-05were 17.7% and 26.9% respectively higher than passenger numbers in 2001-02 – theyear before Sunday services were introduced. The percentage of total passengersusing Kirkwall and Stornoway Airports on Sundays in 2004-05 was 8.7% and 6% respectively.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 June 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 16 June 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive how many services subject to support from the Route Development Fund have been withdrawn or otherwise ceased and what these services cost the Executive.
Answer
Of the total 27 year-round routessupported since the inception of the Executive’s Route Development Fund (RDF),seven have subsequently ceased.
The RDF is structured to ensurethat investment is only provided when the airline has carried passengers to andfrom Scotland. Payments are made in arrears on the production of invoicesby the airports. This enables the risk to the public sector investment element tobe mitigated. The level of investment in the routes that no longer operate was atotal of £95,423.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 June 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 16 June 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive how many air services from Scottish airports initiated under the Route Development Fund scheme are still operating.
Answer
A total of 27 year-round routeshave been supported since the inception of the Route Development Fund by the Scottish Executive. Of these routes, seven have ceased and the remaining 20 routes are continuingto operate on a year-round basis.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 June 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 16 June 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive which consultant assisted it in assessing the routes and airlines for Route Development Fund assistance.
Answer
The consultancies which assistedin Route Development Fund assessments were AviaSolutions and York Aviation. Thewebsite addresses of the companies are:
www.aviasolutions.co.uk and www.yorkaviation.co.uk.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 June 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 16 June 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive which consultant has been assisting it with its review of the HITRANS proposals and whether it has employed any other aviation consultants on similar reviews.
Answer
The consultancy company employedby the Scottish Executive is AviaSolutions. The company’s website address is
www.aviasolutions.co.uk No other consultancyhas been employed.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 June 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 16 June 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive which permanent senior staff of the consultant assisting it with its review of the HITRANS proposals have worked with major international airlines as airline route planners, airline economics specialists or in similar capacities and for how long.
Answer
The consultancy company employedby the Scottish Executive is AviaSolutions. The company’s website address is
www.aviasolutions.co.uk on which thekey personnel are listed.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 03 June 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 16 June 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it, or its consultants, have had with Loganair on the review of the HITRANS proposals for enhanced air services in the Highlands and Islands and whether any other regional airlines were contacted as part of this review.
Answer
The Scottish Executive and its consultant have discussed the technical and operational feasibilityof the HITRANS’ proposals with Loganair and other airlines serving the Highlands andIslands.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 03 June 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 16 June 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what the reasons are for the delay in implementing the HITRANS proposals for enhanced air services in the Highlands and Islands, given its support for these proposals in the partnership agreement.
Answer
The Partnership Agreement committedthe Scottish Executive to fully evaluate the HITRANS’ proposals for a Highlands andIslands air network. Further work, commissioned by HITRANS, developed its proposalsand this has been similarly evaluated. With this evaluation now complete, my priorityis to get on and deliver the economic and social benefits which improved air servicesand bus fares can bring for the Highlands and Islands.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 08 April 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 10 June 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-13270 by Nicol Stephen on 24 January 2005, whether there are costs relating to the Smartcards other than those stated in that answer and, if so, what these other costs are and what the total cost is of the Smartcard scheme including all categories of costs.
Answer
In addition to the costs set out in my answer to question S2W-13270, we estimate that the cost of the Smartcards themselves including distribution will be of the order of £3.6 million.
