Barra air service
Half a cheer for the news that a new plane is going to be bought to service Barra (and Tiree and Campbelltown) before the existing Twin Otters finally fall to pieces.
This provides some security for the people of Barra ahead of the re-tendering exercise.
The plane will be owned by Ministers - it appears - and leased to the successful bidder for those routes.
I haven't seem the Government Press Release yet, but what does it mean that "Work will start over the next 12 months on buying a new aircraft"?
Does that mean that the process hasn't actually been approved, and that we are just in the later stages of the early stages of assessing the position; before actually coming towards a conclusion?
Surely not.
This provides some security for the people of Barra ahead of the re-tendering exercise.
The plane will be owned by Ministers - it appears - and leased to the successful bidder for those routes.
I haven't seem the Government Press Release yet, but what does it mean that "Work will start over the next 12 months on buying a new aircraft"?
Does that mean that the process hasn't actually been approved, and that we are just in the later stages of the early stages of assessing the position; before actually coming towards a conclusion?
Surely not.
3 comments:
A cynical person might just think that there is an election on the cards..........
Having said that, keeping the beach is a stopgap. The issue that needs addressing is the lack of a hard runway.
If the pSAC in the sound of Barra is fully adopted the continuation of the beach runway will be in question. No scope for developing the existing service of increase the number of flights. Perhaps this could be the governments get out clause. The same would apply to SoB ferry services.
Barra needs a hard strip like it needs a hole in the head. The beach landing is tried, tested, safe reliable and pretty much 100% sustainable. It is also the only one in the world and hundreds of people come every year just to land on the beach. Many thousands of people have only heard of Barra as "the place where the plane lands on the beach". That sort of publicity could not be bought. We are regularly featured on television, tourism brochures etc etc.
A hard strip would devastate the north end of Barra and would not be welcomed by most islanders.
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