(S3O-11014) International Flights (Costs)

5. Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the costs of international flights from Glasgow compared with those from London. (S3O-11014)

The Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change (Stewart Stevenson):

The cost of international flights from Glasgow compared with the cost of such flights from London is driven by a combination of competitive pressure and demand.

Stewart Maxwell: The minister might be aware of the research that I undertook recently, which showed that a family of four flying from Glasgow to Florida this summer will pay £1,000 more than a family flying from London, despite the fact that the return flight from London takes an hour longer than the Glasgow flight. The travel companies have stated that the reason for the extra cost from Glasgow is the greater loads per plane that travel from London compared to from Glasgow. Does he agree that, if it were £1,000 cheaper to fly from Glasgow than from London, the load figures would be the exact opposite of what they are now and that perhaps the fact that it is £1,000 cheaper to fly from London skews the load figures and causes Scottish families to travel to London to get their holiday flight?

I urge the minister to stand up for Scottish families. What will he do to tackle the situation and stop my constituents in the West of Scotland and all Scottish travellers being ripped off by some travel companies?

Stewart Stevenson: The member makes a range of interesting and valid points. I have recently met the managing director of Glasgow airport and I assure the member and others that she is working hard to gain additional services and is using pricing as part of the mechanism for doing that. I have also met business interests that are looking to develop a Scotland-based airline. One of the key issues is that airlines find it easier to provide cheap, cost-effective services from their home base. We are at a significant disadvantage in that regard. We will continue to work with the interests that are working to deliver an airline for Scotland.

Charlie Gordon (Glasgow Cathcart) (Lab): Does the minister agree that one way in which Mr Maxwell's concerns could be assuaged would be through the development of additional direct international flights serving Scottish airports, which could be achieved by reinstating an amended version of the air route development fund? That has long been sought by Labour and is supported in the Confederation of British Industry Scotland manifesto, which was published this week.

Stewart Stevenson: The member will be aware of the rules governing the use of air route development funding. We cannot support routes to catchment areas of more than 5 million. However, the European Union is reconsidering the rules and we are optimistic that the controlling regime will enable the reintroduction of a scheme of some kind to support airlines. That is something that we will watch and respond to.