SNP Transport Minister Secures Early End to Flight Path Trial
Local Parliamentarians Welcome Early End to Edinburgh Flight Path Trial
Local MSP for the Linlithgow Constituency Fiona Hyslop and MP for Livingston Hannah Bardell have welcomed the news that Scottish Government Transport Minister, Derek MacKay, has secured agreement from Edinburgh Airport that the new trial flight path at will be stopped early on the 28th of October – before 23rd of December – as soon as the Airport have gathered their necessary data.
Derek MacKay contacted the Chief Executive of Edinburgh Airport asking him to stop the trial early once they had sufficient data.
Commenting, Fiona said;
“This is absolutely the right decision and I would like to thank Derek Mackay, Transport Minister for his intervention. When I met with Gordon Dewar in my office in Parliament last week (9th Sept) I impressed on him the importance of not prolonging the trial if it was not necessary and I am very pleased they have confirmed that they will stop the trial early – by October 28th – when they have the data they need. Although the Scottish Government is not responsible for Aviation Policy, I am pleased that Derek MacKay has put forward the case for an early end to the trial which my constituents have been calling for.
“At the packed public meeting tonight (16th Sept) I also secured a categoric assurance that flights will end on the 28th October on the new trial flight path and that the Airport will not immediately move into a consultation period with flights being able to continue.
“It has been clear from the survey that I have been conducting that the majority of affected people want the trial stopped. Over 1,500 constituents have responded – with surveys still flooding in – expressing their views of the flight path trial and I intend to pass all their concerns on to Edinburgh Airport and the Civil Aviation Authority so they are acutely aware of the disruption the flight path has caused.”
Local MP, Hannah Bardell also commented;
“I’m very pleased that Edinburgh Airport have listened to the concerns of so many local people and the local politicians and decided to end the flight path trial early. I’m grateful to the work done by Transport Minister Derek McKay in raising his concerns and the huge amount of consultation Fiona Hyslop MSP and her team have done to engage with the local community in her survey.
“I will continue to press the issue of setting up of an Independent Noise Commission – as well as the accountability of the CAA as I believe there are still a number of questions relating to how it operates.”