Challenges of A9 and A96 highlights importance of area’s air links from Inverness
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As I have often reflected, Inverness and Highland based businesses achieve all that they do despite of, rather than because of, our region’s transport infrastructure.
It is reassuring to see Fergus Ewing MSP continuing to appropriately press Scottish Government colleagues for specific much-needed answers on the A9 and A96 dualling.
The challenges to our region’s surface transport highlights the importance of our air links to and from Inverness Airport. The team at Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd (HIAL) work tirelessly, mostly behind the scenes, to secure and develop air routes at Inverness Airport that are vital to businesses based here and to all of our communities in our city and across the region.
The Inverness Airport team do their job brilliantly, which is why they were rated ‘No 1 Airport’, under two million passengers, in 2020 and 2021. This is no mean achievement in any circumstances, but I think outstanding given we were in the midst of a pandemic!
One of HIAL’s outstanding successes in recent years has been KLM’s service between Inverness and Amsterdam. Since 2019, almost 100,000 passengers have used the route to fly direct to Amsterdam and, given that Schiphol Airport is a global hub, to destinations across the world, this route has been critical in supporting the global popularity of the Scottish Highlands as a tourist destination.
Given the number of foreign tourists we all see in our city, it comes as no surprise that there has been a 50 per cent increase in passenger numbers in the first half of this year.
Given the importance of this route to our region’s businesses, we are delighted to be hosting a free keynote lunch with Inverness Airport and KLM later this month at Highland Rugby Club.
Our speakers will be able to highlight the many benefits of flying local and discussing passenger recovery. There will be the chance to get a preview of Inverness Airport’s summer schedule for next year and KLM will be unveiling a premium comfort offer.
I’d encourage businesses to attend this important event and book their place through events@inverness-chamber.co.uk
