The picture's every bit as bad as being painted. Controllers who've been with HIAL for years, been through the bad times before and stuck with them, are now looking to leave. Sadly HIAL Head Office Management's heads
are collectively in the sand. If they are interested in their staff they've an odd way of communicating this. ATC staff
are finding it hard to carry on as normal with all the unrest within the company. The regulator is only too aware of this - low morale does not engender a good safety culture. One ATCO is leaving HIAL at the end of this month, a few have job offers in hand and others have job interviews pending. Before the year end it's likely airports will have to shut for periods due to staff shortages. The remaining staff will receive flak from the travelling public and press for this and what little morale is left will go. Unlike the BCB they don't have a
PR guru to make them look good.
HIAL ATC staff are not alone in suffering, the company's Airport Fire Service is similarly affected by the malaise and are losing staff rapidly.
As far as Inverness Radar is concerned HIAL Head Office Management stubbornly purport it'll be in place by 31 March 2007.
Not a chance.
