The Shetland Times
Alasdair Fraser
06 Jan 2026
The total bill for an abandoned attempt to centralise air traffic control - which would have cost 17 Sumburgh Airport jobs - has now hit almost £10.5m.
Highlands and Islands Airport Ltd (Hial) in 2022 scrapped its “modernisation” plan, which would have seen New Century house in Inverness acting as the sole air traffic control (ATC) hub for airports, including Sumburgh, Kirkwall, Stornoway and Dundee.
The plans had been hugely controversial with politicians and union leaders warning of job losses and safety concerns.
And despite eventually axing the ill-fated project, the costs incurred to the public purse have kept growing.
According to a Freedom of Information response, just over £3.6 million wasted solely on buying and maintaining the soon-to-be demolished New Century House in the Inverness’s Longman Industrial Estate...
