A £1.2 million plan to bring daily direct flights between Dundee and Amsterdam hit major turbulence just hours after it was announced.
After months of pressure and lobbying, particularly by MP Chris Law, the news emerged in Chancellor George Osborne’s Autumn Statement as part of the £7 million Regional Air Connectivity Fund.
But a senior source at Flybe, which launched the bid to operate the route, said a relationship breakdown between the company and airport owner HIAL could throw the plans into jeopardy.
The insider said: “We can’t commit to running the route until a contractual dispute is resolved. Whilst we would very much have liked to start working on this, the dispute is a huge point that means we would not be able to go ahead and operate that route.”
They added it was their understanding that it would be involve massive upheaval to have airlines bid to operate the route, if it was even possible at such a late stage.
But Inglis Lyon, managing director of HIAL, played down any problems.
He said: “We have worked closely with our partners to support Flybe’s application and get to this stage, and it is hugely encouraging that the bid has been approved.
“We now need to work with Flybe, Transport Scotland, Dundee City Council and others to take the successful bid forward and deliver the service.”
If all goes to plan the service would be to Schiphol the major international hub that serves Amsterdam and which offers global onwards connectivity and more than 50,000 people are expected to use it every year.
Dundee West MP Mr Law said: “This is brilliant news after months of campaigning and keeping the pressure on for a new air link from Dundee to Amsterdam, the announcement today in the Autumn Statement that the route has won funding from the Regional Air Connectivity Fund is just fantastic.”
David Mundell, Secretary of State for Scotland, said: “The new service will help support a stronger economy and greater opportunities for people and families across the east of Scotland to access international destinations.”
Dundee and Angus Chamber of Commerce chief executive Alison Henderson also expressed delight at the news.
“The increased leisure and business tourism activity that this will bring our region is very important to the economic growth of Dundee and Angus,” she said.