Loganair has urgently requested the Scottish and UK governments to step in following flight reductions due to financial issues. The regional airline has temporarily cut back flights from Inverness to the Western Isles, Orkney, and Shetland after facing difficulties. Routes like Inverness-Stornoway and Inverness-Kirkwall-Sumburgh were identified as unprofitable, prompting the need for governmental intervention. Previously daily flights between Inverness, Orkney, and Shetland are now only operating on weekends as reported by the BBC.
The airline has also canceled its morning flight between Inverness and Stornoway, affecting the ability of island residents to travel within a day. The Chief Executive of NHS Western Isles, Gordon Jamieson, highlighted the importance of the morning flight for healthcare access, emphasizing its critical role for both patients and healthcare providers.
The reduction in flights is expected to impact approximately 1,100 appointments in the coming months, leading to additional costs for the health board. NHS Western Isles plans to invest £100,000 in patients’ travel and explore options like evening clinics and extended clinician stays to mitigate the effects of the flight cuts.
Loganair is seeking support from the government-owned Highlands and Islands Airports Limited (Hial) to reinstate flights and has been encouraged by Transport Scotland to collaborate with Hial on finding a solution. The UK government has expressed interest in enhancing air connectivity nationwide.
Simon McNamara, Loganair’s head of government and corporate affairs, attributed the flight reductions to increased fuel prices due to the Middle East conflict, affecting industry-wide demand. He pointed to Norway’s model of government-private operator collaboration for essential air services as a potential solution.
Loganair emphasized the lack of a long-term strategy in Scotland to address the issue and highlighted that most of its network operates without support. McNamara suggested potential solutions such as direct subsidies or exemptions from certain taxes and charges to bridge the financial gap.
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