SCOTLAND and the Highlands in particular are having a boom time as far
as air transport is concerned according to figures released today
(Monday 8 May) by Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd. In the year
ending 31 March 2006 the agency's ten airports handled 1,152,895
passengers, a 13.5% increase on 2004/05 and breaking the previous
busiest year total of 1,100,609 passengers set in 1995/96 at a time of
significant oil industry related traffic. Inverness (seen here
besides the Moray Firth) continues as by far and away the busiest
airport with nearly 650,000 passengers over the last 12 months, a
figure bound to grow with a new Ryanair route from Liverpool starting
October. Already introduced this year is Aer Arann service to Dublin
and Eastern Airways' Inverness ” Leeds Bradford. Atlantic Airways
will launch a twice-weekly Faroes-Sumburgh ” Stansted service and
Eastern Airways an Inverness ” Newcastle route in June.
http://www.hial.co.uk