Argyll and Bute County Council have submitted a bid for funding to run a pilot programme to determine the viability of commercial flights between Oban, Glasgow and Barra in the Outer Hebrides.

The move comes after research from the Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership suggested that there were grounds for running these flights on a trial basis. If approved, services would run throughout the summer, helping bring in valuable tourist revenue to the isolated areas.

Council leader Dick Walsh said: “This is another great initiative coming out of the Oban area and I fully support the drive to increase the services offered by the airport. Daily flights to and from Glasgow would be a massive benefit and would support the council’s strategic vision for the Lorn area.”
He added that if the request for funding was not approved, the local authority would look at other ways to fund the project.