Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has called for a halt to Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd's plans for the centralisation of Highlands and Islands air traffic control jobs in Inverness
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He was speaking after meeting air traffic controllers in Stornoway and discussions with the leader of Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, Roddie MacKay, who briefed him on the issue.
Scottish Labour has said that this issue, combined with the ongoing ferries fiasco, is ‘emblematic’ of the SNP’s failure to deliver for Scotland’s ‘left behind’ island communities.
Mr Sarwar, who was on a two day visit to Lewis with his family, said: "I find it shameful and astonishing that neither the Cabinet Secretary for Transport nor the Transport minister has been prepared to meet, listen and learn as I have done today.
"The air traffic controllers have very real concerns about safety issues and the reliability of services as well as wholly understandable concerns about keeping these jobs in island communities. Ministers are responsible for all of that and cannot remain in hiding, while Hial management try to ram it through.
"I would like to hear any minister try to reconcile this strategy of removing quality jobs from the islands, for entirely unproven benefits, with their supposed commitment to 'island-proofing' Scottish Government policies.
“What is abundantly clear is that this issue is emblematic of the SNP’s failure to deliver for Scotland’s left-behind island communities.
“From the ferry fiasco to the threat to air traffic control jobs, the SNP has failed these communities – this must end."
