THE TRANSPORT secretary has accused the Scottish Government of making it harder for airlines during the pandemic.
Grant Shapps, speaking to an SNP MP, said he was inundated with calls from airports complaining about Holyrood decisions.
Gavin Newlands, the MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire North, had been asking about support for the travel and aviation sector, citing the fact that a third of jobs at Glasgow airport have now gone due to the pandemic, and in business travel 60% are no longer existent.
He added that of those jobs that were left, 80% of staff in them have been furloughed, continuing: “Hundreds of thousands of jobs have gone whilst there is a job protection scheme in place.
“This is the 36th time I have asked about support for the aviation sector since the start of the pandemic.
“With many parts of Europe now wary of the UK delta variant outbreak, five bleak winters for the sector in a row beacons.”
He asked if the UK government would “finally keep its word” by extending grant support and minic the business rates relief system the Scottish Government has implemented.
He added: “Crucially is he lobbying the Treasury to extend furlough for the sector, and does the clinical advice given to the government fully support these decisions on double vaccines and travellers and travel to amber-list countries?”
Mr Shapps said that the UK Government had given “billions” to the aviation sector “including the Scottish aviation sector, including money that has come from the furlough programme for example”.
He then went on to criticise the Scottish Government, saying airlines were “constantly” complaining about it.
He said: “[Mr Newlands] asked a series of questions and I fear I may have to redirect in some cases to his own Scottish government, because I have constantly, the Scottish airports on the line to me complaining about the actions of the Scottish Government, who seem to do everything that they possibly can to make it harder for airlines and airports to see a route to recovery.
“That said, there was a strong degree of work together in order to bring in the latest changes to the traffic light system.”
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