SPAA rues lack of scheduled growth

THE influx of no-frills carriers in Scotland is putting off full-service airlines from going to the country, the Scottish Passenger Agents Association has claimed.

Head of the airline committee Ken McNab said air links out of Scotland were “abysmal”, with carriers reluctant to start services because of the competition from budget airlines.

He said: “We appreciate any airline starting services from Scotland, but the growth of no-frills carriers in the country is deterring mainline airlines from moving here because they can’t get the yields. It’s up to the agents to back them.”

McNab said the country needed a year-round service to the US and more direct routes into mainland Europe.

Currently, Continental Airlines is the only scheduled carrier to offer a US flight, from Glasgow.

SPAA council member Sandy MacPherson added

the infrastructure from Glasgow and Edinburgh city centres also needed to be improved to persuade airlines to launch services.

Meanwhile, the SPAA is talking to Flybe, Aer Lingus and KLM about their policy of putting their lowest fares on their own websites rather than on the GDSs.