Scottish Government’s air travel ‘supertax’ plans could ‘cut off’ Aberdeen from the world

The SNP and Scottish Greens are facing calls to abandon plans for an “air travel supertax” that could isolate Aberdeen and the north-east from the rest of the world. The Scottish Government is considering increasing domestic flight prices through taxation as a means to address its net zero shortcomings.

The proposed “air departure tax,” has been a long-standing point of contention with environmental groups, but it now appears to be a key strategy in discouraging air travel in favour of train journeys. However, this would require Westminster’s approval to replace the existing air passenger duty with a tax applicable to all eligible passengers departing UK airports.

Last week, the Scottish Government faced significant embarrassment when it was forced to abandon its ambitious climate targets. Now, it seems they are considering pricing people out of domestic flights in favour of more sustainable transport options.

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This move could also impact SNP MPs who regularly fly between Scotland and England.

The Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce has issued a warning against these plans, stating that they could sever connections between Aberdeen, the north east, and the rest of the world. They have labelled the proposal as a “knee-jerk response” that could further harm an economy already struggling due to the decline of the oil and gas sector, reports the Scottish Daily Express.

Humza Yousaf has made an appeal to voters in the north-east by stating his intentions for it to be the “net zero capital of Europe”, with Stephen Flynn, leader of SNP Westminster, being an MP for the city. However, critics argue that his plans could hinder this progress due to claims that it will deter individuals from taking flights from Aberdeen International Airport.

Highlighting the importance of the airport, the chamber expressed that it serves a variety of crucial domestic flights for the energy and business sector, offering daily connections with London, Newcastle, Manchester and the Highlands and islands. The south-bound rail routes are significantly slower in comparison.

The proposals were described as “deeply unhelpful” by chief executive Russell Borthwick, contradicting Mr Yousaf’s promise of a “new deal for business.”

He stated: “Any supertax of this kind on business travel would fly in that face of that accord.”

He further explained the issues facing Aberdeen, citing long-standing underinvestment in their travel infrastructure. “Aberdeen has suffered chronic underinvestment in our travel infrastructure over decades. Rail services to the rest of Scotland are nowhere near as fast and reliable as they could be and are not a viable alternative for business travellers, for whom time is money. For example it takes over seven hours to travel by train from London making it an unviable transport form for short business trips.”

Mr Borthwick has suggested that exemptions could be considered for the Highlands and Islands due to their inadequate public transport systems, but he warned this could put Aberdeen “at a further unfair advantage”. He proposed that Scotland should “pioneer sustainable aviation fuels,” and invest in modern rail infrastructure.

He further stated: “Let’s rollout renewable energy projects at scale, let’s do all of this and more, instead of cutting off swathes of our population. What we shouldn’t do is hammer business and leisure travellers with taxes on top of taxes, to provide a fig leaf for government failings on its approach to net zero.”

The Scottish Government has been contacted for a response.