The vast majority of ordinary Scots observed the stringent conditions of lockdown.
As the stress piled up, with kids off school and jobs on the line, decent people knuckled down and played by the rules.
As a result, most families have experienced the disappointment of cancelled holidays.
Most of us haven’t been on a plane or anywhere abroad for two years. Families deserve a holiday. They need a holiday.
That’s why the current chaos of cancelled flights and traumatic queues at airports simply isn’t good enough.
Being told at check-in that the trip you’ve looked forward to for months isn’t going to happen is no small thing.
It’s an even bigger deal for kids, a heartbreaker that they shouldn’t have to put up with.
Unions claim today that the aviation industry AND governments were warned of the inevitability of the disruption we are seeing today.
Staff shortages were already a problem before lockdown. Low wages, zero hour contracts and unsociable hours have made the industry unattractive for workers.
Now those staffing problems have snowballed – spreading chaos and threatening our summer holidays.
The £8billion ploughed into the aviation industry during lockdown should have been used to retain valuable staff – allowing a return to normality as quickly as possible.
It was short-sighted to dismiss union plans that would keep staffing levels afloat.
The industry is now reaping what it sowed, as many of the skilled staff who helped our holiday departures run smoothly are now employed elsewhere.
Aviation companies must learn to put a proper value on the staff who work in our airports.
We need them to be there to safeguard our vital trips to the sun.
Way forward
It shouldn’t be an issue in 21st-century Scotland for someone to announce their sexuality.
Unfortunately, certain elements of the football world can lag a fair bit behind the rest of society when it comes to outdated attitudes.
That’s why Craig Napier deserves credit for bravely coming out as a gay man.
The grade one ref knows the football arena can be a hostile environment but he has spoken frankly about why he made the decision and his feelings about helping others.
Bigotry – of all kinds – still raises its ugly head from time to time but the game has moved on from its darkest days.
It is now far more likely Craig will be warmly applauded for his bravery rather than abused for his sexuality.
He has struck a blow against homophobia and helped the sport he loves move further into the light.
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