The public subsidy for the controversial north-south air link should be scrapped, according to Assembly Member for Montgomeryshire and Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Russell George.
This week, the First Minister, in a written statement, claims that the route is “vital” for the Welsh economy – but the route has long been criticised as a highly subsidised shuttle service for senior civil servants and politicians which delivers no benefit to the people of Mid Wales.
Commenting, Mr George said:
“The North-South Air Link has been labelled as “vital” for the Welsh economy but it delivers absolutely zero benefit to the people of Mid Wales.
“The Welsh Government subsidy for the air link is more than £100 a head, which is higher than the cost of a return ticket.
“If they can’t prove that the route can be cost effective in the long term then it should be scrapped.
“It might be vital for them, but there’s little evidence to suggest that it does anything at all for the wider Mid Wales economy.
“Instead of wasting millions more on an air link for civil servants and politicians we’d be better off investing this money in devolving economic levers to Mid Wales through establishing a Mid Wales Growth Deal to boost investment in our region.
"There's a North Wales Growth Deal, Cardiff Region City Deal and a Swansea Bay City Deal so there's absolutely no reason why we shouldn't have a Mid Wales Growth Deal which would deliver much better value for money for Mid Wales taxpayers and be of far more benefit to the Mid Wales economy.”