Loganair will not ‘threaten or weaponise’ Inverness flights again, CEO says
THERE IS “no danger” of the Sumburgh-Kirkwall-Inverness service being cancelled, Loganair’s chief executive has said.
Luke Farajallah said the airline had learned this year that weaponising or threatening the route was “the wrong way” of negotiating with the Scottish Government.
It was revealed in June that the route would be reduced from mid-July, with Loganair citing a lack of financial support from the government.
However the Scottish Government stepped in early last month to fund weekday flights on the route from 26 October, putting £1.06 million in via Highlands and Islands Airports Limited (HIAL) to safeguard the service.
Farajallah was responding to a comment from external transport forum chairwoman Moraig Lyall when he sought to make assurances about the Inverness-Kirkwall-Sumburgh route.
Lyall had said the Scottish Government had managed to find the £1.06m “down the back of the sofa”, and said she wanted to see them carry out a wider review of the Highlands and Islands air network.
That led the Loganair chief to say they were not going to “pull or threaten or weaponise” the service.
“We learned this year that’s the wrong way of doing that,” he told the forum.
“There’s no danger of that being cancelled.”
Farajallah said that, if Loganair felt the route was no longer being financed properly by HIAL, the airline “will find a way” to subsidise it.
“That route is too important to us,” he said.
“There is no threat to those services. One way or another, those flights are going to fly.”
Forum chairwoman Lyall added the reassurance was “very welcome”.
When the announcement was made that the flights would be cut, a Loganair spokesperson said in June that they “recognise how important these routes are to the communities they serve”.
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“However, after reviewing all operational and financial options, we can no longer sustain the current level of service without impacting the wider business,” they added.
Local and national politicians called for HIAL, Transport Scotland and Loganair to get back round the table to continue the service.
And in early August, the Scottish Government confirmed the weekday flights would return from 26 October.
Scottish secretary for economy, tourism and transport Stephen Flynn said they would be looking to the future of the air network following the announcement.
“Transport Scotland will now work with HIAL and industry stakeholders to discuss next steps for a sustainable, long-term solution to protect Highlands and Islands air services for those who rely on them.”
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