Preparing Broadford Airport for reopening and take-off

Although the trial was set for three years it was important that our report looked at options that would survive beyond this point. This meant that if planning should go ahead permanently, there wouldn’t need to be a drastic amount of additional work and money fed back into the project. We also looked further than the original two flights a day, instead encompassing the maximum travel the airport could operate under.

With a detailed knowledge of the sector, our team were able to focus on innovative ways of interpreting aviation regulations and developing phased plans leading towards a successful reopening. For example, according to the Skye Air Services Business Case 2016, the airport would be required to have a single Cat 3a standard Rescue and Fire Fighting Services vehicle with garaging facility, storage, and basic non-residential staff facilities. However, as the airfield was not required to host the fire and rescue team on site, it was decided that sharing the local squad facilities at a nearby shipping yard would help to reduce costs when it came to staffing and residential maintenance.

The return of day flights between the Isle of Skye and either Edinburgh or Glasgow will make business trips and hospital visits easier and more accessible for the residents of Skye. It will enable economic growth, connectivity and social cohesion across the Islands and mainland. Extending flights to remote communities across the UK will be integral to bringing growth and innovation to these harder to reach regions.