Commercial airline flights could take off from Leuchars as part of its controversial future as a home to the army, the Scottish Government has suggested.
The RAF continued to market Leuchars as the perfect base for a Scottish golfing holiday, although this was restricted to the landing of private planes.
The base has welcomed many of golf’s leading players taking part in the Open Championship and also a host of celebrities and film stars including Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones.
Meanwhile, Ryanair looked at flying in and out of Leuchars several years ago and even approached the MoD about the prospect.UnclearHowever, at this stage it is unclear whether Leuchars would be suitable for the large passenger numbers that would be required for the arrival of a budget airline once the army base was functional.
A spokeswoman for the MoD last night confirmed they had received a request to consider using Leuchars as an embarkation point, adding, “We are giving that due consideration.”
Asked about the possibility of commercial flights, however, she said that the large number of troops possibly as many as 1300 scheduled to be based in Leuchars means there might not be “sufficient capacity.”
North East Fife MP Sir Menzies Campbell has also suggested Leuchars may not be suitable for a large number of commercial flights.
“Civilian use and military use do not always co-exist happily with each other, particularly if there are any considerations of national security,” he said.
“When the army’s requirements are fully understood it may be possible to consider civilian uses.
“A large volume airline would have a very substantial impact on local infrastructure such as the road network. The funding of any improvements to the road network might be difficult to achieve.”
The debate comes after Sir Menzies accused chief secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander, of interfering in the decision to close the base for political reasons.
Leuchars is scheduled to become the formation HQ of the Scottish brigade which will be made up of troops returning from Germany by 2014. It will also become home to two other major army units between 2015 and 2017.
Further detail on the plans is expected from the MoD in the coming months.
First Minister Alex Salmond is to ask the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to examine the possibility which would provide a welcome boost to the local economy in the wake of the decision to end the Fife town’s century-old link with the RAF.
Defence Secretary Liam Fox caused outrage and heartbreak last month when he confirmed the RAF was to be axed from Leuchars in order to retain RAF Lossiemouth in Moray.
Although disappointed by the decision, Mr Salmond believes the base’s future role as a divisional headquarters of one of five new multi-role army brigades is a “substantial consolation prize” that must be seized.
He is lobbying for the base to maintain its aviation facilities and hopes to convince the MoD to make it an “embarkation point” for troops across Scotland.
The majority of military deployments in the UK take place from RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, although Leuchars, Edinburgh and Prestwick airports have been used for Scottish troops in the past.
Mr Salmond believes using Leuchars for that purpose would allow aviation skills and jobs to be retained in Fife and make use of the base’s runway, which has been the subject of millions of pounds of investment in recent years.
Government strategy secretary Bruce Crawford told us that the prospect of commercial flights must also be investigated thoroughly.
“It is vital for the future of the local economy in Fife and the surrounding region that aviation facilities are kept fully operational at Leuchars and the Scottish Government will do all we can to make sure that happens,” said the Stirling MSP.Crucial”It is crucial that the airfield is kept in use so that it can be used as an embarkation point for military personnel involved in future operations and beyond that there must be scope to investigate securing commercial flights from Leuchars to make the most of the facilities there.
“There is no reason why military and civilian flights could not both use Leuchars, which would be a huge boost to the economy of the area.”
Mr Crawford’s suggestion is not the first time the possibility of commercial airline flights from Leuchars has been raised.
In 2002 a feasibility study by the MoD indicated that potential exploitation of spare capacity at RAF Leuchars might include greater use of the base by civilian and commercial aircraft.
However, Project Pioneer was put on hold the following year because RAF Strike Command wanted to keep its “options open” as the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq escalated.
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