28-04-2025
Call for regional funding to help save Perth aviation courses
Tay Cities regional funding cash could be used to save Perth aviation training courses dropped when the Perth's Air Service Training (AST) went into administration earlier this month. First Minister and Perthshire North MSP John Swinney has written to the chair of the joint committee overseeing the Tay Cities Deal to explore the possibility of any unused funding being allocated to AST. Perthshire Conservative Murdo Fraser had suggested in a letter to Mr Swinney that £8.1m earmarked for a Perth College Aviation Academy for Scotland (AAS) plan could help to restore the cancelled courses. Following the administration announcement, Mr Swinney said he would work with all stakeholders in an attempt to find a way forward – and the Scottish Government said this week work is under way to identify longer-term options for existing students to complete qualifications with alternative course providers. AST, which employs 28 people, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of UHI Perth. The college has provided funding to ensure the BSc in Aircraft Maintenance Engineering and Management continues until the end of the academic year, but all other courses have ceased. AST was set up in 1931 and has since trained 190,000 engineers and pilots from around 150 countries. In a 2020 announcement, it had been due to receive investment from the £300m Tay Cities Deal, funded by the UK and Scottish governments, to establish a national aviation academy. Mr Fraser commented: 'Any prospective closure of AST would be deeply felt, depriving Scottish students of opportunities, worsening the local skills shortage crisis for firms within Scotland's aeronautical sector and decreasing international investment coming into Perth. 'Although AST's owners, the University of the Highlands and Islands, has intervened to keep the BSc course in Aircraft Maintenance Engineering and Management running until its completion at the end of the academic year, all other courses have been immediately cut which will have profound consequences for the students and staff affected by these changes. 'In my letter to the First Minister, I told him that I am aware that £8m of the Tay Cities Deal had been reserved to create a national aviation academy and that I understand he has pledged to find a way forward on this issue. 'I have asked the First Minister if he is able to specify what actions the SNP government will be taking to support AST during this difficult period and confirm whether the Tay Cities Deal funding can be used to aid these efforts or restore the courses that had been suddenly cut.' Plans for a UHI Perth-led Aviation Academy for Scotland (AAS) envisaged 540 training places over the first four years of operation. The aim was to integrate regional, national and international education and training to provide a skilled workforce which can 'respond to the global growth of aviation'. Perthshire Chamber of Commerce chief executive Vicki Unite said following the administration announcement: 'This is a stark reminder of the fragility of even long-established institutions in the face of compounding financial pressures. 'We echo calls for all stakeholders to come together urgently to explore any viable routes to preserve the remaining course provision, protect jobs, and secure a future for aviation training in Perth. 'Perthshire has long held a strong place in the aerospace and engineering sectors, and it is vital that this expertise and infrastructure is not lost.' And Perth and Kinross-shire SNP MP Pete Wishart said: 'We simply cannot have this fantastic local asset going to waste or for Perth's reputation for flight training to be tarnished.' A Scottish Government spokesperson said this week: 'Air Service Training was a partner in a wider investment proposal for an Aviation Academy which secured £8.1m of funding from the UK Government as part of the Tay Cities Region Deal, but we will continue to work with regional partners and the UK Government to explore other viable delivery options. The funding will not be lost to the region. 'This will be a deeply concerning time for students and staff affected by the situation at Air Service Training. 'The Scottish Government's PACE (Partnership Action for Continuing Employment) service has contacted the company to offer redundancy support and affected employees have been made aware of the services available to them. 'It is welcome that UHI Perth has provided funding to ensure that current Aircraft Maintenance Engineering and Management students can complete this academic year and that work is continuing with alternative providers to identify longer term options for existing students to complete their qualifications.' A spokesman from Mr Swinney's constituency office said: 'Mr Swinney is engaging with stakeholders to try and find a way forward on this vital issue. 'Along with Pete Wishart and Jim Fairlie, he has written both to management at UHI Perth as well as the chair of the joint committee overseeing the Tay Cities Deal to explore the possibility of any unused funding being allocated to AST. 'Should any constituents have specific concerns, Mr Swinney would encourage them to contact his office directly.'
