THE decision that BAA must sell off Edinburgh Airport is eminently sensible and one that will lead to the long-term benefit of the Edinburgh air traveller.
As flyglobespan is one of the few airlines which fly from all three of BAA's current Scottish airports I was interviewed by the Competition Commission and I am pleased they appear to have listened to my recommendations – as the case is unarguable.
Flyglobespan enjoys a very good relationship with BAA. Apart from one summer when we flew out of Prestwick, our Scottish operation has been based entirely from the three BAA airports of Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen. We could not – and would not – have grown our operations from all three bases had the relationship not been a good one, based on mutual respect.
However, I have to admit at some unease regarding a level of complacency from the airports. While independently-owned airports in England are courting flyglobespan to launch routes from their sites, there is not the same drive for new business from their Scottish counterparts.
Competition between the three Scottish airports would surely change that attitude.
So why Edinburgh? Well, no matter whether Glasgow or Edinburgh is sold by BAA, it will provide competition between each other which will be good for the central Scotland traveller.
With Prestwick Airport so close, Glasgow already has an element of competition. Edinburgh has no such equivalent and if it and Aberdeen remain within the BAA framework the east of Scotland will be hugely disadvantaged.
Put an independent Edinburgh Airport into the triangle of a BAA-owned Glasgow and Aberdeen set-up, and you have an operation which has to be at its very best at all times in order to compete effectively.
It would have to ensure its facilities were better than its rivals, its access and parking weretop notch and, yes, its landing charges as competitive as possible.
Would that mean lower landing charges and therefore savings for customers? Potentially. Competition would give us the ability to negotiate prices as low as possible – at present we have nothing to negotiate against.
One proviso – I would hope that when Edinburgh Airport sell-off happens, Newcastle Airport is not allowed to be among the bidders. That would create the possibility of Scottish routes and programme being taken south for business reasons rather than the convenience of Edinburgh passengers.
An independently-owned Edinburgh Airport, working constantly to ensure its facilities and services are at the highest level to compete effectively against its Scottish rivals would be an ideal working partner not just for this airline but for every carrier. And the long-term winner would be the Edinburgh traveller.
• Tom Dalrymple is chairman of flyglobespan
The full article contains 463 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
