Shetland Islands Broadcasting Company

The Civil Aviation Authority has granted a range-licence to the SaxaVord Spaceport allowing it to undertake vertical rocket launches and to control sea and airspace during the launch window.

Under the licence conditions, the SaxaVord Spaceport will be responsible for keeping clear the marine area to the north of Unst, which is below the launch path, for keeping clear the airspace towards the north pole and into orbit, with temporary no fly zones for transatlantic flights, and for the safety of those on the ground.

Meanwhile Alistair Carmichael spoke, in a UK parliamentary debate on the UK space industry, on the potential benefits of the SaxaVord Spaceport. Mr Carmichael took the opportunity to stress the importance of fixed link tunnels to Unst in order to unlock the full potential of the space industry.

The member of the Scottish parliament for the Highlands and Islands Jamie Halcro Johnston has challenged the delay in data from the Scottish census.

The new broom at Loganair, in the form of the new chief executive officer Luke Farajallah, has promised increased resilience for its core flying network, that being Scotland’s islands, by cancelling three mainland-to-mainland routes from next month and reducing services on seven other mainland-to-mainland, or to Ireland routes.

Shetland dialect writers have until the end of next month to enter the Rhoda Bulter Award competition for a short story written on the theme of anniversary.

The workshop at UHI Shetland Scalloway Campus, entitled Addressing Aquaculture Challenges: Sharing Solutions, was attended by mussel growers and salmon producers along with their trade organisation Seafood Shetland.