Airline to join battle over Barra

Following a report that he was to make an announcement next week, Mr

Bruce Sinclair, managing director of Paisley-based Air Sinclair, said:

''I am not going to rule out the possibility of a service to Barra by

Air Sinclair.

''Our concern is that we have a Trislander aircraft that we want work

for. It is immediately available.''

The airline would not confirm whether it would provide only a Glasgow

to Barra via Tiree service, or whether it would also provide a

Barra-Benbecula-Stornoway service.

The news received a cautious response from Castlebay councillor, Mr

Allan F. Macleod.

''The most important thing is a proper air service for Barra. Whether

a Trislander, which we had many years ago, would be seen as progress, I

just don't know.''

Mr Sinclair refused to comment on the service currently being provided

by Loganair. A total of 25 flights have now failed to land on the beach

strip at Barra since the larger Shorts 360 replaced the ageing De

Havilland Twin Otter in March.

Air Sinclair, which employs eight flight crew and four ground staff,

has two three-engined Britten Norman Trislanders. They are normally used

for charter and air taxi work.

The head of the airline said that if he provided a service fares would

be competitive.

He said: ''We will be cheaper than the current operator, but not as

cheap as we would be if we had the contract, and the subsidy that goes

with it.''

Air Sinclair, in conjunction with Cormack Aircraft Services, failed in

their joint bid to wrest the inter-islands contract from Loganair when

it was last out to tender.

Mr Sinclair blamed that on the Western Isles Council and the Scottish

Office failure to ensure ''a level playing field'' for the bidders.

The reason, he maintained, was that his Trislanders use Avgas fuel

which has a 16.5p per litre tax levy which the Jet-A1 fuel for

turboprops, like the Twin Otter and the Shorts 360, does not.

''In effect, our competitors' fuel costs between 24p and 30p a litre

but we have to pay between 52p and 82p a litre.

''It is an anomaly which would have made a difference of #20,000 to

#30,000 a year -- a difference which we would have had to absorb,'' he

said.

With Avgas being similar to petrol, the tax prevents its use for

non-aviation purposes.

''The answer is for us to be able to reclaim that tax. But the

Scottish Office have not yet conceded that point.''

Mr Sinclair also confirmed that Air Sinclair was interested in bidding

again for the inter-islands route in the forthcoming tendering process.

Meanwhile, the row over Loganair's troubled run to Barra spilled over

on to Tiree.

District Councillor Ian Gillies said Tiree was to be given its own

separate air service until Loganair sorted out the muddle at Europe's

only cockleshell beach landing strip.