Contracts or agreements between Scottish Government and airline service providers: FOI release
- Published
- 30 August 2023
- Topic
- Public sector, Transport
- FOI reference
- FOI/202300371415
- Date received
- 16 August 2023
- Date responded
- 24 August 2023
Information request and response under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002
Information requested
1. Please provide details on any contracts or agreements in place between the Scottish Government and airline service providers. This can include any PSO agreements that are in place.
2. Please provide details of any monies paid to any aviation service firms, regardless of roles they have fulfilled, in way of state aid, financial grants, amendments to existing contracts, rate relief or similar since 1st January 2020. If this could cover:
- Menzies
- Swissport
- Loganair
- SASSE
- World Flight Services
- ABM
- OCS
- Dalcross
- HIAL
- Glasgow Airport Limited
- Aberdeen International Airport
- Edinburgh Airport Limited
Response
1.
Airline |
Contract or Agreement |
Loganair |
Provision of the Glasgow to Campbeltown, Tiree and Barra air services |
Loganair |
Participating airline in the Air Discount Scheme |
British Airways |
Participating airline in the Air Discount Scheme (doesn’t receive any direct payments from the Scottish Government) |
Airtask |
Provision of staff for Fisheries Protection activities |
You may wish to contact other Public Bodies such as VisitScotland, local authorities and the Scottish Ambulance Service who may also have contracts or agreements in place with airlines.
2. The tables below show funding provided for each company. No payments were made to Menzies, Swissport, SASSE, World Flight Services, ABM, OCS, Dalcross or Aberdeen International Airport.
Loganair
Reason for Funding |
Amount (£) |
Provision of the Glasgow to Campbeltown, Tiree and Barra air services |
18,590,844.46 |
Reimbursement for discounts provided under the Air Discount Scheme |
27,110,897.34 |
Provision of a skeleton service to ensure basic connectivity and service to passengers travelling to and from the Scottish Islands and the Scottish Mainland during the Covid-19 pandemic |
3,420,182.78 |
Reimbursement of IT costs relating to upgrade of Air Discount Scheme IT system |
1,058.44 |
Provision of additional air services to Barra during summer 2022 |
21,254.00 |
Edinburgh Airport
Reason for Funding |
Amount (£) |
Provision of training courses in relation to bag searching |
19,800.00 |
Costs associated with the design and implementation of systems and facilities to safely and securely manage the receipt and dispatch of international passengers to the onward quarantine facility during the Covid-19 pandemic |
97,507.40 |
Reimbursement of costs in relation to supporting COP 26 (paid on behalf of the UK Government) |
473,068.47 |
The Edinburgh Airport Low Carbon Energy System - 9.9 MW of solar PV, 3.7 MW electric battery storage and 40 electric vehicle charging points. Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme Grant |
2,166,999.01 |
Edinburgh Airport Low Carbon Heat Network – Outline Business Case development. Heat in Buildings Development Funding Invitation Grant |
42,350.00 |
Delivery of customer care training |
3,951.44 |
Glasgow Airport
Reason for Funding |
Amount (£) |
Reimbursement of costs in relation to supporting COP 26 (paid on behalf of the UK Government) |
270,588.41 |
Highlands and Islands Airports Limited (HIAL)
Reason for Funding |
Amount (£) |
Resource Grant in Aid to maintain operations at HIAL's 11 airports |
147,318,193.69 |
Capital Grant in Aid to maintain operations at HIAL's 11 airports |
93,698,717.48 |
Capital loans to support operations at HIAL's 11 airports |
6,123,857.98 |
Administration costs for the Air Discount Scheme |
1,022,156.47 |
Payments listed may include VAT where it was applicable.
The firms listed in the information request may have received funding indirectly through third parties but the Scottish Government records payments to primary funding recipients. For example, the Scottish Government provides funding to local authorities that may be used to
support the provision of air services. Our funding, however, is to the local authority and the Scottish Government has no direct relationship with the airline.
While I note your reference to “rate relief” it should be noted that this is not money paid to an organisation. Rather, it’s not requiring that organisation to pay a tax. In addition, non-domestic rates are administered by local authorities rather than the by Scottish Government directly. Information in relation to rates relief for the Aviation Industry was previously published by the Scottish Government. This can be viewed on the Scottish Government web site at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/foi-202000039712/
About FOI
The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.
Contact
Please quote the FOI reference
Central Enquiry Unit
Email: ceu@gov.scot
Phone: 0300 244 4000
The Scottish Government
St Andrews House
Regent Road
Edinburgh
EH1 3DG
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