Scottish Transport Secretary Stephen Flynn has been criticized for admitting he was unaware of a significant methane gas leak on the flagship CalMac ferry MV Glen Sannox, which was carrying 82 passengers at the time of the incident.
Flynn told a Scottish Parliament transport committee that he missed the news, which had been widely reported, because he was "Facetiming my kids." The leak, involving approximately 700kg of methane, occurred last year while the ferry was sailing from Arran.
Former Scottish Liberal Democrats leader Willie Rennie described the situation as "unacceptable," stating that the Transport Secretary promised transparency but the public was only informed about the incident a year later. "This was a significant incident involving an uncontrolled escape of highly flammable gas, on board a ferry that has been troubled for quite some time and which was carrying 82 passengers," Rennie said.
Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay commented on social media that Flynn was "unprepared and unserious" in his response to the situation.
The details of the gas leak emerged following a freedom of information request by BBC Scotland News. Some of the methane gas was drawn back into the ship's ventilation system, triggering alarms in the engine room. The ferry's port main engine also shut down automatically due to the detected irregularity.
The MV Glen Sannox, a dual-fuel ferry designed to run on liquefied natural gas (LNG), has exclusively used diesel since the incident. Marine safety expert Andy Alderson, with 35 years of experience with LNG ships, stated that while an explosion from the leaked amount was unlikely, the incident was significant and warranted proper scrutiny.
The MV Glen Sannox has been a source of controversy since its inception. The vessel, built by Ferguson Marine in Port Glasgow, was part of a project that was originally slated for completion in 2018 for £97 million. However, it finally began service in January 2025, with the total cost to taxpayers now exceeding £500 million. The ferry's complex hybrid engine was designed to help meet Net Zero targets mandated for public bodies by the Scottish government.
Its sister vessel, MV Glen Rosa, is also experiencing delays and is not expected to enter service until the end of the year.
CalMac acknowledged that lessons were learned following the June 2025 incident and that remedial actions have been taken. The company stated that the vessel is safe to operate on LNG and that the decision not to refuel with LNG after its annual overhaul earlier in the year was made to expedite its return to service.