Hial annual results reveal increase in passenger figures and revenue
Highlands and Islands Airports Limited (Hial), is reporting a “significant increase” in revenue and passenger numbers for 2017/18 .
The company, which is wholly owned by the Scottish ministers and is responsible for the management and operation of 11 airports, has boosted revenue to £24.9 million. The organisation has also announced a record year for passenger figures across the group with 1.78million passengers travelling through its airports, an increase of seven per cent on the previous year.
Hial chief executive, Inglis Lyon, said: “Over the past year we have achieved some major milestones: 875,000 passengers at Inverness Airport, record numbers at Sumburgh, in Shetland, and new direct routes to Manchester from Stornoway.”
Hial has faced criticism this year over plans to introduce car parking charges – which were subsequently delayed – and long-running proposals for a centralised air traffic control system.
• More in The Shetland Times, out on Friday.
Christopher Johnston
There are considerable negatives to HIAL’s annual performance. It lost £2.2 million (versus a loss of £8,000 the previous year) after a government subsidy of £29 million (£36 million the previous year).
Arranging the figures another way, HIAL had £24.9 million in revenue and £56.1 million in expense for 2017-2018, versus £22 million in revenue and £58 million in expense the previous year.
Each passenger was subsidised by taxpayers £16.29 in 2017-2018 versus £21.68 the previous year.
colin macdougall
what then do you suggest ? i for one cant understand how hial has no flights from Faroes or Iceland stopping to pick up passengers going to their tourist destinations in Spain and the meditereanean ,but they fly over hial airdromes that have the runways to land and pick up passengers . Their are four .lerwick ,Wick ,Stornoway and Inverness that have that magical runway size . Moreover having these as resort destinations for the congested central european market would certainly dent the deficit but they are fighting Edinburgh empire building politicians who are happy to sacrifice Glasgow’s two dromes ,whilst not giving Aberdeen even the chance to compete across the pond . Hail is not the problem its the remote distant politicians in Edinburgh that are the problem.
Christopher Johnston
I assume that Icelandair and Atlantic Air have made conscious decisions not to make stops at Scotland airports because of cost or governmental restrictions.
Atlantic Air flies Airbus A319 (minimum runway length 6070 feet) and Airbus A320 (minimum runway length 6900 feet). Icelandair flies similar Boeing aircraft. Runways at Sumburgh and Wick are not long enough. Stornoway could accomodate Airbus A319 and A320; Inverness could accomodate only A319.
HIAL is owned and controlled by the Scottish Government, and does nothing without direction from the SNP. Put the blame where it lies.