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Nicola Sturgeon has branded the UK Government’s decision-making on air bridges (international routes where a two-week quarantine would not be necessary) as “shambolic”. However, the First Minister was taken to task over her own decision to delay agreeing to the coronavirus proposals. Edinburgh Airport CEO Gordon Dewar exploded at the SNP chief in a furious rant as he warned on Times Radio that up to a third of jobs in the Scottish airline industry could now be at risk.

He said: “I’ve got to go back and explain to the 250 staff that we’re going through redundancy consultation on that, unfortunately, while we were going to see if the circumstances got better before we made a final decision, that this is pretty much the final nail in the coffin of that.”

Mr Dewar confirmed that there are 250 jobs in his company being discussed as at risk at the moment.

He added if that was equated to the airport then it increased to over 2000 jobs.

7000 employees are facing the same challenges with the industry receiving zero revenue and very little prospect of any for the rest of the year.

The CEO told said he was anticipating losing up to a third “unless things change very quickly for the better”.

He stressed the First Minister’s recent approach was going in the “wrong direction”.

When asked how quickly he needed a decision from Ms Sturgeon, Mr Dewar said: “Three weeks ago when we put this stupid policy on in the first place.

“We’ve already lost the first week of school Scottish holidays.”

He continued: “There’s no prospect of anybody making any plans.

“Even if we changed this and announced on Monday a Friday implementation, we’ve already lost a third of Scottish holidays for no reason.”

The airport CEO also described the delay as “economic suicide” for Scotland.

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He said: “Aviation is imminently transportable so we’re going to lose jobs to the rest of the UK and Europe.

“It’s going to be even easier for airlines to start up again in English airports just over the border.

“Certainly not in Scotland when neither can they get any clarity of what’s happening, why it’s happening and how it’s going to change.

“This is just economic suicide for zero benefit.

“I agree with her that the British Government’s air bridges plan has been shambolic, but her’s isn’t much better.”

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