Goodlad ‘deeply concerned’ by plans to stop weekday flights to Kirkwall and Inverness
In cancellation emails Loganair said it cannot sustain the current level of service without ‘government funded support’
SHETLAND MSP Hannah Mary Goodlad says she is due to meet with the Scottish transport secretary today (Wednesday) amid plans from Loganair to discontinue weekday flights on the Sumburgh-Kirkwall-Inverness routes.
She also said she will also be meeting with other MSPs affected by yesterday’s news.
Plans to stop weekday flights have now been confirmed in cancellation emails that customers with affected flights are now receiving.
In its cancellation email Loganair said it cannot sustain the current level of service without “government funded support”.
Orkney MSP Liam McArthur also claimed that Loganair officials have cited “insufficient support from HIAL” as a factor.
Responding to the news, SNP MSP Goodlad said: “I am deeply concerned about the news from Loganair and have taken immediate action, voicing my concerns to the transport secretary directly.
“[Today] the transport secretary and I are due to meet to explore solutions to safeguard this service.
“In addition, I have taken action to establish a cross party islands constituency MSP group to discuss how we can work together to elevate island voices across our parliament.
“I’ll be meeting [today] with the other MSPs whose constituencies are affected by Loganair’s plans. I believe there is more that we can achieve together than individually.”
It also comes after a sharp increase in Loganair’s fuel surcharge, with rising jet fuel prices now being felt by customers when buying tickets.
A spokesperson for government-owned HIAL, which operates airports in the Highlands and Islands, said it had offered a support package to help maintain the routes’ viability.
“However, as a public body, the level of support needs to be affordable for HIAL, amid financial pressures on the public sector,” they added. “Discussions with Loganair are ongoing.”
In its cancellation email, Loganair said weekday flights on the route are being discontinued in its summer schedule, from 20 July to 23 October.
It added: “Loganair will continue to service Kirkwall and Sumburgh from other points in Scotland but we appreciate that these may not be as convenient for you.”
On Tuesday councillor Moraig Lyall, who chairs the SIC’s environment and transport committee, called on government officials to find a solution and said there are “many essential reasons for this link to remain for individuals, families and businesses”.
Last month Loganair also highlighted how rising maintenance costs and a lack of available aircraft parts were partly to blame for its Sumburgh-Dundee-Heathrow air service being scrapped.
The route from Sumburgh to London Heathrow, via Dundee, has been withdrawn by Loganair from September onwards.
Ronnie Matheson, Loganair’s chief commercial officer, told a recent meeting of the Shetland external transport forum that the route simply had not been viable from a cost perspective.
He confirmed that Loganair is exploring alternative London airports to fly into from Dundee later this year.
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