Wick Airport

[Kenn]

Was pleased to read that at least some-one is still talking about getting Wick airport more generally used.I would like to see it opened to direct flights from down south and not just an extension of existing arrangements, like the interchange at Edinburgh .
Surely there must be a demand for business flights, links to major airports for international travel etc.
It's been a boon having the facility to obtain cheap flights from Gatwick/Stansted etc to Edinburgh/Glasgow and Inverness which means a day's shopping in any of those places is now considered quite normal. Surely there must be a reciprocal demand from the far north and besides I suspect that many people, me included, would love to be able to cut out that long drive,even longer train journey,from Thurso/Wick south and vice versa.
Any thoughts on the matter?
Oh well for now it's a good thing that the A9 has some good views and that no snow is expected for the moment :D
P.S Is the heather blooming yet?

[golach]

Flights till Week??? Lizz,........I always thought ye hed a VTOL Broom stick and could land anywhere
Golach [lol]

[gleeber]

Theres been continual controversy and discussion about the practicality of airlines using Wick airport for many years now. I would have thought if it was a profitable business venture they would be rushing to do it.
The heathers just beginning to bloom Lizz, looking fantastic in the glens.

[Kenn]

Hey there Golach, I suppose being a sea-faring type ye dinna ken that a flight plan has to be filed and approved....now as alot of Caithness has overflights by the RAF, getting permission to land can be a trifle difficult..an' afore ye start chortling I've nae wish to end base over apex in a carpet o' heather especially if gleebers watching! Thanks mates for the responses and I'm still gonna keep pressing fer that runway that could take a jumbo jet to be fully utilised..watch the press [evil]

[Kenn]

I was just reading the following, promoted by "Tourism Strategies"" it states that their aim is ,

"To promote and develop the Highlands of Scotland as a world class tourist destination"

For those of us who have visited the areas they are responsible for, we know the beauty and the heritage.OK, so we keep selfishly quiet about it as we don't want to share it with too many others :evil But "Hey" come on it would be good to get there with a little more ease than is currently involved.

Anyone know what they are doing about improving access?

[scotsboy]

To be honest I try to avoid flying out of Wick whenever I can. I am all for ensuring passenger safety etc, but I find the hand searching of your bags (luggage) to be a real pain. I recommend they obtain an X-ray scanning machine and scan all bags rather than the random searches they currentrly do.
Inverness every time for me.

[jjc]

Last time I flew out of Inverness they did a hand search too (only a month or so ago)... I had three bags; one suit bag, one bag full of toiletries, the third with my dirty clothes in from the holiday. Which did they choose to rummage around in? Why, the dirty clothes, of course – and I only had all my dirty boxers on the top! I don’t know if I felt more embarrassed for me, or more sorry for the poor guy having to rummage around in my pants.

[squidge]

Ugh jjc - thanks for sharing that with us :eyes

[Kenn]

He He , wasn't me dirty laundry they was interested last time we flew back from there,....I had purchased some Caithness Glass that I had carefully stowed in my hand luggage. Now the snowdrop bowl didn't raise an eyebrow but the circular paper weight SURE did.I like a real man but when a 6' 6ins but like the proverbial asks me "Madam is that your hand luggage" I gets a trifle worried.Thank goodness it was in it's box together with the receipt. WHEW that's the last time I buy one o' 'em! Apparently it showed up with the same perametres as a grenade because of the lead in the crystal.Thank goodness I didn't purchase the set of Edinburgh Crystal that caught me eye..I could currently be serving a serious sentence as a terrorist suspect [mad] :D

[Kenn]

So how many others heard/read that British Airways had failed to include Wick Airport amongst the destinations that can be accessed by linking flights? It goes from bad to worse don't it!

[George Brims]

Lizz, for several years now, even Inverness doesn't have linking flights, if you fly into Heathrow from outside the UK. You have to take that damn bus between Heathrow and Gatwick. Travel agents outside the UK don't seem to know that and try to book you with one hour between flights. Also no-one warns you in advance that the fare for the bus is not included in your airfare (even when all your flights are with BA). Finally the one time I did take that route (never again!) I waited an hour and a half for the bus, which then took another half an hour to load, and missed my flight back to the US out of Heathrow. The people of Scotland are being neglected by "British" Airways! Bring back British Caledonian - well maybe not, those cabin crew uniforms were an abomination.