Sumburgh Airport to keep air traffic controllers as workers back Hial project

The air traffic control tower at Sumburgh Airport. Photo: Ronnie Robertson

Air traffic controllers have backed a proposal from Highlands and Islands Airports Limited (Hial) which will ensure workers at Sumburgh Airport keep their jobs.

Prospect union members approved the plans, which will see a centralised surveillance operation from Inverness Airport monitoring Sumburgh, Kirkwall, Stornoway, Inverness and Dundee.

But crucially air traffic services will continue to be delivered from all of these airports.

Prospect hailed the news as “a major win for workers”.

“This shows what unions can achieve when working with local communities to safeguard the future of essential local services,” general secretary Mike Clancy said.

“Throughout this process, we have engaged constructively with Hial and are pleased to have reached an agreement that protects these highly-skilled jobs in rural communities and ensures the future of a vital transport network for local people.”

Both Hial and Prospect have agreed to review the project in five years.

The agreement brings to a conclusion a long-running saga between Hial and air traffic controllers, who were angry at plans to centralise its air traffic services to Inverness – removing jobs from local communities.