The Scottish Government has been urged to address the lack of flights connecting Glasgow with the US.

Stuart Patrick, chief executive of Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, has welcomed the publication by ministers of a new aviation strategy for Scotland which he said recognises the economic importance of the industry to Scotland.

But he declared business leaders are concerned that too few direct routes between Glasgow and Prestwick airports compared with Edinburgh.

“We should celebrate the commitment the Scottish Government is making to the aviation industry and the balance it is aiming to strike between economic growth and delivering on net zero targets. However, it needs to think more about the impact its policies may have on broader economic objectives,” writes Mr Patrick in an article for The Herald today.

READ MORE: Aviation strategy must do more for west of Scotland

“It is troubling that every new flight to America it has financially supported in the last two years has gone to Edinburgh Airport. We hear too many business leaders in Glasgow lamenting the current lack of flights from Glasgow across the Atlantic. The Scottish Government has the power to address these concerns.”

Mr Patrick adds: “Glasgow Chamber of Commerce has been calling for clarity on the Scottish Government’s aviation position for some years and there is much to welcome in the document we now have. But there is one lingering concern. It offers much less than it could for the economy of the west of Scotland.”