MP Welcomes Indication of Possible Wider Access to Discounted Fares at Wick Airport

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 29th Mar 2006

Local MP, John Thurso has this week expressed his optimism that the Scottish Executive is prepared to accept that discounted air fares from Wick Airport to the main centres of population in Scotland should not be restricted only to those resident within the Caithness county border.

In a letter earlier this month to Transport Minister, Tavish Scott, MSP, the MP argued for an extension of the concession to those on the North and North East Sutherland coast who have traditionally looked to Wick as their first airport of departure and suggested that one possible way of recognising this would be to set the KW postcode as the qualifying criterion.

Commenting, John Thurso said:

"It is very good news that the Scottish Executive is prepared to adopt a flexible approach to the award of this concession and to ensure that those resident in some of our most remote communities who would naturally look to travel from Wick should not be excluded.

"Whatever final model is adopted for the scheme I hope a further announcement will be made very soon."