Ferries, flights and a fiery festival
• Council says it will continue negotiating with the Scottish government after a pledge by the SNP to award £5 million in ferry funding
• Guizer Jarl Stewart Jamieson reflects on his ‘brilliant’ Up-Helly-A’ day
• SIC leader Cecil Smith has defended the handling of the White House fiasco a week after the building was reported to have a clean bill of health
• Renewed doubt has been cast over the future of Tingwall Airport, with one elected member insisting the time has come to close the airstrip
• Hillswick sanctuary owners welcome drive to cut down on plastic pollution
• Pair of firms to share £1.5 million boost for decommissioning work
• Answers demanded after near miss off Sumburgh
• Captain of Shetland men’s rugby team is calling for more people to take up the sport
• See our 16-page Up-Helly-A’ supplement
Natasha Dean
In response to the recent article on the closing Tingwall airport, I must agree with Allison Duncan. I can’t see how the SIC are saving or profiting from the running and maintenance of Tingwall. They have at least 6 full time employees (including days where flying is a ‘no go’ to any aircraft). All I see is staff walking about there taking photos to put on social media, and they’re drawing a wage?!
I don’t know who does number crunching for costs or profits, but how does any aircraft bring money in by flying to the islands somedays empty? It doesn’t take a genius to work out the service doesn’t pay for itself. They’ve a cheek spending £30k on an electric van yet having the runway lights on 100% when nothings flying.
Wouldn’t it be an idea to make savings by closing Tingwall and sticking to ferry travel (as £5m is being pumped into the inter island ferries from the Government).
The SIC seem good at cutting costs on school/care home budgets.
I can’t see where they’re going to muster funds for new runway lights, a tower, re-surfacing plus maintenance/running of 2 aircraft. There used to be 1 aircraft.