Drainage project takes off at Inverness Airport
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HIGHLANDS and Islands Airports Limited (Hial) has begun work on the latest phase of its £5.5 million environmental improvement programme at Inverness Airport.
The work will tackle the historic drainage issues inherited from RAF Dalcross, the World War II aerodrome on which Inverness Airport was developed.
Improvements, costing £500,000, have already been made including the installation of remote monitoring systems, CCTV surveys of the underground drainage system and disconnection of water pathways which could exacerbate flooding.
Hial has also installed more than 250m of new filter drainage to the south apron of the airfield and 200m of new carrier drain and modifications to the main runway gully system.
A more environmentally friendly de-icer has also been introduced by Hial at Inverness and its other airports.
The project is scheduled to be completed by October 2020.
Inverness Airport general manager Graeme Bell said: “We take our environmental responsibilities extremely seriously and are working closely with Sepa (the Scottish Environment Protection Agency) to ensure we not only meet, but exceed the standards required by environmental legislation.
“We are undertaking these major works to ensure Inverness Airport’s drainage infrastructure is fit for the future. The works will also allow development and growth of the airport in the future with the aim for Inverness to be one of the most environmentally robust airports in Scotland.
“The scale of the improvements required has been huge. It is a big project that we are fully committed to. Throughout these works our approach has been collaborative with Sepa and others.”
This includes liaising closely with Ardersier Community Council which represents residents living close to the airport.
Mr Bell said: “We have issued an open invitation for local representatives to visit us at the airport. We would be delighted to explain our plans and let them see first-hand the work being done to ensure Inverness Airport has the highest environmental standards.”
