News / Airfare campaign to meet Loganair next week
CAMPAIGNERS fighting for lower airfares to and from Scotland’s islands are to meet senior management from airline Loganair in Shetland next week.
Loganair has agreed to the meeting next Thursday (25 June) after the ‘Islanders Against Flybe & Loganair’s Excessive Prices’ group chalked up over 14,000 supporters in the space of a week.
The campaign has shone light on the wide extent of discontent in Shetland, Orkney and the Western Isles about the crippling cost of flying to and from the Scottish mainland.
It has been backed by a wide range of local and national politicians, and the groundswell of opinion has prompted Loganair to agree to a private meeting to discuss the campaign group’s main aims.
Scott Preston, the former Tagon Stores owner who started the campaign, says he is “delighted” the airline has agreed to meet.
“The support that we have received from people across the globe has been phenomenal,” he said. “We’re very grateful to everyone who has contacted and supported the campaign.
“Loganair will be given every chance to put forward their side of this issue, but they must come into next week’s meeting knowing that talking to us is just the start. We will continue to press for the changes that the isles desperately need for our lifeline air services.”
The group is calling for Loganair to provide clarity on its pricing model, including easy-to-access information about health and student concessionary fares.
It also wants Loganair to introduce discounted travel for those flying to and from Scottish islands to attend the funeral of an immediate family member.
Last month, BBC broadcaster Jonathan Sutherland told this website that he and his young son had to cough up £800 for return flights from Glasgow to attend his grandmother’s funeral. Numerous similar examples have been cited on the campaign group’s page in the past seven days.
Shetland News has been seeking an interview with Loganair management for over a month. Its PR firm said last week that the company will not field anyone for media interviews until after the meeting with campaigners has taken place.
Meanwhile, the campaign group has also contacted Scottish transport and islands minister Derek Mackay seeking a meeting, and Preston hopes to hear back in the coming week.
“There are clear problems that go beyond Loganair’s responsibility on this matter,” he said. “We want to sit down with Mr Mackay so help raise further awareness of this issue and to make the case for action at a governmental level.
“We set up a facility to allow our members to directly email Mr Mackay’s department to ensure that he is under no illusion about the level of feeling and have been pleased by the number of members who have sent out supportive emails.
“Ultimately, we want to see Mr Mackay call a summit and put fixing this issue at the forefront of this and the next Scottish government’s agenda.”
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