Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the timeframe is for the planned introduction of additional flights between Heathrow and Scottish airports after the construction of a third runway at Heathrow.

Expansion at Heathrow is expected to deliver 100 additional flights to and from Scotland per week. Heathrow Airport Limited (HAL) believes that if it receives development consent by 2022, it will start construction soon after and that the new runway can be operational and in passenger use by 2026.

While the exact timing for the introduction of new flights will be for HAL and it partners determine, the Airports National Policy Statement requires HAL to work constructively with its airline customers to strengthen existing routes and develop new connections.

Ministers and officials regularly meet with HAL to discuss various issues, including domestic connectivity. Furthermore, the Department and HAL agreed in their Relationship Framework Document to establish a Domestic Connectivity Forum later this year to discuss the provision of these additional routes to Scotland, alongside the other commitments made on domestic connectivity.