Derek Provan, chief executive of AGS Airports Ltd, which owns and operates Aberdeen and Glasgow airports, said: “The Scottish Government confirmed today to industry representatives that it now intends to align fully with the reforms on international travel announced by UK Government last week. 

“This will mean that pre-departure testing to return to Scotland will no longer be needed as of Monday 4 October and free lateral flow testing will soon replace the expensive PCR current requirement.  

“While this is something we have been urging the Scottish Government to do for months, and the subsequent delay has negatively impacted the industry in Scotland and AGS as a group, it is a welcome step forward.  

“By ensuring Scotland has parity with the rest of the UK, this decision is one that will deliver much-needed consumer confidence for our passengers to start travelling again and for our airline partners to look at increasing capacity at our airports. 

“A number of restrictions on travel still remain in place and we are not yet back to anything like normal operations, but we will continue to engage with government to ensure the safe return on international travel continues and that we can rebuild the connectivity that plans a vital role in supporting our economy.”