MSP fights airport car park fees

Tavish Scott said airport car park charges were not acceptable

Plans to introduce car park charges at Shetland's main airport will meet "fierce opposition", according to the MSP for the islands.

Tavish Scott said the price of flying to the mainland was already high enough without adding costs.

He said the airport was far from the main town of Lerwick, public transport was patchy and most passengers needed to use cars.

Highlands and Islands Airports is introducing fees in Orkney in January.

Mr Scott, a former Scottish government transport minister, said that when HIAL asked him for permission to impose parking charges in the Northern Isles several years ago, he turned them down.

He said if the airport authority pressed ahead with the plan, there would be fierce opposition from him and many other travellers who already paid "more than enough" to travel to Scotland.

"The flights to the island airports are lifeline flights and, even with the benefits of the air discount scheme, the cost of flying is high," he said.

"For passengers to face additional charges to park their car would not be acceptable."

Orkney travellers have already been told they will be paying up to £3 a day from 6 January.