DUNDEE TO AMSTERDAM REGIONAL AIR CONNECTIVITY FUND BID

That this House welcomes the campaign calling on the Government to approve Flybe's bid for funding from the Regional Air Connectivity Fund for a daily return flight from Dundee to Amsterdam; recognises that an Amsterdam link was assessed as the most promising new international route in Transport Scotland's 2013 Scoping Study into Potential Development Opportunities for Dundee Airport; believes that the approval of this bid would be a game-changer for Dundee Airport in the context of the city's £1 billion transformation, the centrepiece of which will be the V&A at Dundee; further welcomes Scottish Transport and Islands Minister Derek Mackay's commitment that the Scottish Government will do all it can to make the proposal a reality; appreciates that the approval of this bid would be of considerable benefit to business and tourism in Dundee, and could prove to be a vital service to boost passenger numbers and help to improve the airport's long-term sustainability; and hopes that the Government will listen to the views of all those from Dundee and its catchment area who have signed the petition in favour of the route.