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Aberdeen airport is a great way to visit the north eastern shoulder of Scotland. Located on the outskirts of the city the use of a hire car service is essential to get all you can out of this wonderful part of Scotland. The close proximity to the Grampian Highlands makes Aberdeen the ideal gateway to the last great wilderness in Britain.

Aberdeen Airport is Scotland’s fastest growing; 3 million passengers pass through it annually and it offers flights to over thirty five different destinations. One noticeable feature of the airport is the number of helicopters that fill the air, as it serves the North Sea oil and gas industry. There is also a fantastic range of car hire services answering the regions ever growing business and tourism needs.

With huge investment Aberdeen Airport is set to bring a world of opportunities to North Eastern Scotland. The airport is to undergo a major expansion with a runway extension and an expansion of the international arrival hall planned. The aim is to make Aberdeen Airport a truly international airport by 2015. This is bound to bring jobs to the region as the airport will host restaurants, bars, shops and car hire companies.

The enlarging of the airport to court more international as well as domestic visitors has been welcomed by Scottish tourism directors. With increased profits for the hotel industry, leisure services and car hire companies; investment in local services is bound to follow. Aberdeen Airport is a key element to unlocking further economic growth in the region.

Not all have been so enthusiastic about the expansion plans. Environmental campaigners staged a protest within the city centre of Aberdeen demanding a reconsideration of the plans. The greenhouse gases and extra noise and air pollution were cited as reasons not to expand the Airport. Some local residents were supportive of the protest although these arguments are always a double edged sword.

Without the expansion of Aberdeen Airport the tourism industry, including bed and breakfasts, hotels and car hire companies will suffer. As some of the businesses in the region are controlled nationally surely the abandoning of any plans will be disastrous. The investments that have been made by companies will quickly be removed leading to a loss of jobs and an undesirable effect on unemployment.

Aberdeen is a beautiful city; it has won the Britain in Bloom contest a record ten times, dominating for more than a decade and is an ideal place to hire a car. As soon as you leave the airport the roundabouts and floral displays burst with colour and brighten up what has been labelled the Granite City. So far it is a popular tourist destination for domestic travellers; a 15 million pound hotel is being planned near the airport providing many local jobs.

For the local tourist industry to carry on growing it is vital that the airport expands. Increasing numbers of international visitors will further boost the regions economy and should bring better opportunities for locals. While climate change is of crucial importance, these arguments are arguably blind to the opportunities that the expansion of Aberdeen Airport will bring.

For an area that provides the perfect excuse to hire a car and explore the arguments of campaigners are somewhat faulted. There is a direct correlation between visitor numbers and economy, while the wilderness of the highlands may suffer from more cars on the road, the many tourist attractions will not. It is imperative for the continued growth of the region that Aberdeen Airport is allowed to expand.

The debate of airport expansion is raging all over the country, environmental concerns to some extent must be heeded; however the economy and people’s livelihoods are more important. The expansion of Aberdeen Airport is a contentious issue that is endemic of a wider argument, pitting economic growth and progress against saving the environment. Depending upon which camp you are in the arguments seem strong, seemingly those on the nation’s planning committees are on the side of growth and industry.

Travel expert Thomas Pretty has visited Scotland extensively and recommends the use of Budget’s car hire Aberdeen Airport services to travellers. To find out more please visit http://www.budget.co.uk/car-hire/car-hire-aberdeen-airport.htm