No airport charge

Published 28 Jul 2010 09:30

I WRITE regarding comments made by John Robertson MP in the Post, where he talks about the introduction of a drop-off charge at Glasgow Airport.

Mr Robertson is simply wrong on this issue.

We have just invested £2m in a new drop-off zone which is free to use, and have no plans to charge for drop-off in the future.

We have replaced the temporary access facilities that were introduced after the 2007 terrorist attack, and at a substantial cost to our business.

There is now, for the first time, a dedicated drop-off facility that meets the needs of our passengers and creates an attractive approach to the airport.

Before making these changes we sent detailed information to all the politicians in and around Glasgow, including Mr Robertson, offering one-to-one briefings and tours so that we could properly explain the reasoning behind the changes.

It is therefore disappointing Mr Robertson has chosen to air his grievances in the media by issuing an inaccurate and misleading press release.

There is simply not the capacity on our road network to allow vehicles picking up to wait, particularly for long periods, and that is why we are asking motorists picking someone up to wait in a car park, as was the practice before the terrorist attack.

The alternative is continued congestion on our road network, and frustration for departing passengers being dropped off.

Neither scenario does anything for our status as Scotland's gateway.

We are investing £12m in new facilities this year alone and £200m over the next 10 years.

We can only make this investment by charging for the services and facilities we provide, like any private business.

Mr Robertson's comments are all the more astonishing given that the previous Labour Government introduced massive hikes in Air Passenger Duty which have added significantly to the cost of flying from Glasgow, and which are set to increase again later this year.

This tax on flying is pricing many of Mr Robertson's hard working constituents out of the sky.

Neil Richardson, media and communications manager, Glasgow Airport

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This letter appeared in Clydebank Post 28 Jul 10

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