Loganair has urgently appealed to the governments of Scotland and the UK to step in following flight reductions due to financial issues.
The regional airline has temporarily scaled back flights from Inverness to the Western Isles, Orkney, and Shetland after facing difficulties. Routes like Inverness-Stornoway and Inverness-Kirkwall-Sumburgh were not financially sustainable according to the airline.
Previously daily flights between Inverness, Orkney, and Shetland are now only operating on weekends as reported by the BBC. Additionally, the morning flight from Inverness to Stornoway has been canceled.
Gordon Jamieson, CEO of NHS Western Isles, expressed concerns about the impact on island communities, mentioning that essential healthcare travel to Inverness relied heavily on the affected flights.
Approximately 1,100 appointments over the next few months are expected to be affected by the changes, leading to additional costs for the health board. To mitigate the impact, NHS Western Isles plans to invest £100,000 in patients’ travel and explore alternatives like evening clinics.
Loganair is seeking assistance from government-owned Highlands and Islands Airports Limited (Hial) to reinstate the affected flights. Transport Scotland has encouraged collaboration between Hial and Loganair to find a solution.
The UK government has indicated interest in enhancing air connections nationwide.
Simon McNamara, head of government and corporate affairs at Loganair, attributed the flight reductions to increased fuel prices due to Middle East tensions, affecting demand in the industry. He suggested a model similar to Norway, where government-private operator partnerships support essential air services for communities.
Loganair emphasized the need for a comprehensive long-term strategy in Scotland to address the challenges, mentioning that most of their network lacks support. McNamara proposed potential solutions such as direct subsidies or exemptions from certain taxes and charges to address the financial gap.