Flights will be affected by ‘staffing issues’ at Inverness Airport over the coming weeks where the airfield will have to be closed ‘temporarily’ at certain times
Passengers at a UK airport face major disruption over the coming weeks due to “staffing issues”.
Around one million people pass through Inverness Airport each year but due to expected air traffic control problems, the airfield will have to be closed at certain times.
Highlands and Island Airport Ltd has reportedly announced the expected disruption without going into details about the cause other than it was down to “staffing issues” which will force “temporary closures”.
Passengers have been urged to contact their airlines for up-to-date information on flights. There were already “unforeseen staffing issues” over the Bank Holiday weekend with flights affected.
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Inverness Airport is located nine miles east of Inverness city centre and is a key transport hub for the Highlands and Islands. The airport hosts carriers including Loganair, TUI, KLM, easyJet and British Airways. It offers routes to the likes of London, Majorca, Belfast and the Outer Hebrides.
A Hial spokesperson, reported the BBC, said: “Staffing issues at Inverness Airport continue and will necessitate temporary closures over the coming weeks. We will try, wherever possible, to plan closures around our flight schedules – however this may not be possible and some flights may be affected.”
They added: “We apologise for the inconvenience this will cause. Passengers should contact their airline directly for latest flight information.”
The Mirror has contacted Hial for comment.
The news comes after last year the airport was once again named one of the best in Europe in the Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Awards. Inverness was listed among the top six airports in Europe which service under two million passengers annually.
Airports Council International determines the best airports based on a survey measuring passenger satisfaction. The awards recognises airports with the top 20 percent overall satisfaction score – organised by size and region.
Inverness was among six European airports recognised in its section, the only airport in the category in the UK. In fact, the Scottish airport was the only hub in the category not based in Spain. The only other UK airport included in the awards was Newcastle International Airport in the two to five million passengers per year category.
Following that recognition, Graeme Bell, General Manager of Inverness Airport, said at the time: “To win these awards for the fifth consecutive year is an incredible achievement and a proud moment for everyone involved with Inverness Airport. Being recognised for the third year running as the Airport with the Most Dedicated Staff in Europe as well is a testament to the hard work, passion, and commitment of our entire team.”
