Letters: Glasgow's representatives must take up the cudgels over city's airport

As we come out of the pandemic, we see historically smaller airports, such as Leeds/Bradford and Bristol, announcing expansion, new routes and operating way more international flights than our local airport. Why is this?

Glasgow Airport is vital to the economic success of the city region and the constant haemorrhaging of international routes will quite clearly impact on the city's ability to attract foreign visitors. In particular, the complete absence of direct scheduled flights to the United States, for the first time in nearly 20 years, will likely have a chilling effect on US visitor numbers and the city businesses that depend on them.

The current owner, AGS Airports, and the management team it has in place, appear to have little or no idea how to grow the airport or compete effectively with other airports in the central belt or elsewhere in the UK.

Even more worrying is the complete lack of comment or question on the issue from the city's elected representatives and the council. It is surely imperative that they stop accepting excuses and start asking questions of AGS before the airport's decline becomes irreversible.

Iain Ratcliffe, Glasgow.

* I NOTE with interest John Taylor's letter.

In March 2009, following a referral from the OFT, the Competition Commission forced the then owner of seven of Britain's major airports, including Glasgow Airport, to sell off a number of its airports, because it believed that group ownership was not good for competition or investment. As a sop to those who attempted to oppose such proposals it was suggested that future owners should have experience in airport management and operations.

The reality of the future sales was miles from the original sale proposals, and the buyers were financial investment organisations, who saw the airports as a "a get richer quick" opportunity; it was once again an illustration of selling off more of the UK's assets. There were also other factors which would take too long to explain in the context of this response, but the overall situation that Glasgow and its airport now find themselves in is not at all surprising.

There are solutions to this problem, but whether or not the present ownership is willing to participate is another question.

Mike Dooley, Ayr.

SEA EAGLES DO A GOOD JOB

SNP MSP for the Outer Hebrides Angus MacNeil calls for the “control”, i.e. killing, of sea eagles because some may scavenge dead lambs ("SNP MP calls for eagle cull after Barra lambs stripped to the bone", The Herald, April 12). Perhaps a little ability to think why lambs regularly and naturally die at this time of year may help him persuade his voters that sea eagles perhaps do rather a good job in clearing up carcases from the landscape where their persistence might otherwise lead to contamination of, for example, water courses and reservoirs.

The cold snowy weather we have experienced for the last month or more will take its toll on the lambs, of which more than 2.5 million are born annually in Scotland alone. That is nature, not agriculture. But, despite generous subsidies that artificially sustain the sheep-rearing industry, the annual plea for compensation for every stillborn lamb seems irresistible.

Bernard Zonfrillo, Glasgow.

OLD FIRM GAME SHOULD HAVE BEEN MOVED

IT is sad that on Easter Sunday the Old Firm match is being played. It should be a day of peace and for many in the city it will not be. Family gatherings for Easter lunch will take second place, as will children having a day with their parents, Easter egg hunts, laughter and joy. Would it have been so difficult to have moved it to the Monday or another day at the weekend?

Frances Burniston, Glasgow.

* GRAEME McGarry acknowledges that detecting concealed bottles at the turnstiles is impossible and also avers that broken glass on the pitch and a head injury inflicted by a bottle and requiring stitches “didn’t quite seem to be ranked alongside the Old Firm shame games of the past” ("Idiotic few shouldn’t rule out drinking at match for rest", Herald Sport, April 8). Perhaps had a player sustained a fatal wound from the glass he might not be so keen to have the current alcohol ban lifted.

Duncan Macintyre, Greenock.

READY FOR THE UNMASKING

I WAS in Glasgow city centre for some rest and recreation last weekend and I can report that the majority of people I saw on public transport, in pubs and in restaurants were embracing the forthcoming end of face masks on April 18 by enthusiastically practising for the much-anticipated event.

Peter Wright, West Kilbride.

TO A MOUSE

THIS house-moving lark is proving rather more trying than expected. Somehow or other my mouse-mat has developed a slipperiness that is making the mouse unable to do its intended job which is to enable the little "arrow wotsit" (I am no good at IT technicalities) to travel around the laptop screen. I have cleaned them both with the proper "stuff" but nothing seemed to work. A friend, who has the necessary know-how, made suggestions which did also did not work, so I sat and considered the problem while I tucked into The Herald. What was needed was something to make the mouse-mat rather less slippery and what better than something sticky?

Eureka! The very thing – micropore tape. I cut off a chunk, rolled it up and rubbed it over the mat. Problem solved. Not exactly the marvels of modern science but maybe the mysteries of modern female problem-solving? At least that little arrow whizzes around the laptop screen with no problem at all. Should I buy shares in micropore tape?

Thelma Edwards, Kelso.

DEATHLY SILENCE

AS a realistic old codger well-past his sell-by-date I can live quite happily with the concept of Swedish “Dostadning”, but when translated as “death cleaning”, include me out ("Issue of the day: Swedish ‘death cleaning’", The Herald, April 11 ).

Croaking Clearance, Demise Declutter, and Going for the Burton Bucket seem less daunting.

Euphemisms rule, OK?

R Russell Smith, Largs.