New group to develop Glasgow-Skye air link

Highland Council believes trialling flights to Skye is a viable option

A new working group is to develop plans for a trial air link between Glasgow and the Isle of Skye.

Loganair ran services from Ashaig Airfield, near Broadford, to Glasgow until 1988.

The working group, whose members include Loganair and Highland Council, will try to make progress on aspirations to reintroduce a service.

The airstrip remains available to the emergency services and is used for flights by Loch Lomond Seaplanes.

Regional transport partnership Hitrans, Highlands and Islands Airports Limited, Transport Scotland and Highlands and Islands Enterprise are also involved in the working group.

Loganair flew to and from the airstrip at Broadford until 1988

Highland Council's Isle of Skye and Raasay committee has welcomed the effort to develop a trial air link.

Committee chairman John Gordon, said: "The reintroduction of scheduled flights to Skye would be an enormous boost to our local economy.

"People want to come and visit our beautiful area and we want to make it as easy as possible for them to access all that we have to offer.

"The proposed trial looks like a really viable option."

The airstrip near Broadford was built in the 1970s by Army engineers.

It appears briefly in a scene from the 1980 film Flash Gordon.