The UK Government is to decide by the end of this year an issue of great importance to Scottish economic prosperity, and it concerns a development that’s not in Scotland.
It is the near £19 billion third runway expansion of Heathrow Airport.
The Airports Commission want it to be built, despite environmental objections, having spent almost three years on a thorough of investigation into the future of UK aviation capacity.
Britain’s only international hub airport has been full for a decade, is one of just six airports in the world with more than 50 long-haul destinations and provides direct connectivity to 75 destinations not served by any other UK airport.
As a vital trading link, it processes 26% of all UK exports and carries more freight by value than all other UK airports combined.
The commission concluded a new third runway could deliver up to £211bn in economic growth and create up to 180,000 new jobs throughout the UK.
Heathrow’s biggest export by tonnage last year was actually Scottish salmon worth £290 million.
This week came further evidence of the benefits Scotland would gain from a third runway.
Research by the Quod consultancy estimated that up to 6,900 new manufacturing jobs would be created within a total of 16,100 new posts north of the border fuelled by the expansion.
The overall number of new manufacturing jobs in the UK from a third Heathrow runway has been put at almost 95,000.
Manufacturing is a key part of the aviation supply chain, which is likely to benefit directly as the sector increases purchasing.
Heathrow chief executive John Holland-Kaye could not have put it stronger when he said: “It’s time to expand Heathrow for the whole of the UK.”
The Quod report adds further weight to the call made last week by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon for better ties between Scotland and the economic powerhouse that is London.
More circumspect than the tone of predecessor Alex Salmond, who controversially saw the UK capital as a threat to Scotland’s economy, Ms Sturgeon talked up the importance of closer links to promote Scottish business.
The argument may be difficult for hard line Scottish Nationalists to accept, but there is strong evidence that Scottish business needs that third runway.