Loganair's summer 2017 schedule is 'a statement of intent' says MD Jonathan Hinkles

The new schedule includes the introduction of larger aircraft on the majority of Stornoway-Glasgow flights and on weekend Benbecula-Glasgow flights, together with new convenient links from Stornoway to Manchester.

The 50-seat Saab 2000 aircraft will take over three of the four weekday services between Glasgow and Stornoway from March 27, 2017. The new weekday schedule will also include more convenient afternoon flight times, with departures from Glasgow at 15:30 and 18:15 and from Stornoway at 17:00 and 19:40.

The larger aircraft will also operate up to three Saturday flights and both Sunday roundtrips next summer, and it will be deployed to Benbecula on a regular basis for the first time on the single Saturday and Sunday flights to and from Glasgow.

In an innovative development, Loganair is introducing new same-plane services from Stornoway to the growing UK travel hub at Manchester.

Flights will depart twice each weekday in either direction (with additional services on Sundays) and will have a short stop at Glasgow or Inverness en route to Manchester, cutting travel times to as little as two and a half hours and enabling a new range of lower fares to be offered. Fares from Stornoway to Manchester for Air Discount Scheme members will start from just £47.38 one-way including all taxes and charges plus a free checked baggage allowance.

From summer 2017, Stornoway-Inverness travellers will enjoy a dedicated flight at peak times each weekday morning rather than sharing an aircraft with Edinburgh-bound colleagues. Edinburgh will have non-stop flights from Stornoway on Monday to Thursday mornings and on Thursday and Friday evenings, together with a new later evening non-stop return flight from Edinburgh to Stornoway at 18:00 Sunday to Friday.

The new timetable, which also includes Saturday and Sunday flights, has been structured to ensure that the route remains commercially viable despite extra charges to airlines being introduced by Edinburgh Airport from April 2017.

Loganair’s Managing Director Jonathan Hinkles said: “Our expansion for 2017 is carefully designed to expand the range of services and number of seats on offer on our Western Isles routes whilst continuing to build on the significant improvements in punctuality and reliability that we’ve achieved in recent months. I’m delighted to be announcing wider use of our larger Saab 2000 aircraft on Western Isles flights and launch of new convenient links to Manchester.”

Hinkles continued: “The summer schedule is also a very clear statement of intent of our commitment to the Western Isles as we announce our transition from the Flybe franchise arrangements to become an independent operator from 1 September 2017. As Scotland’s Airline, Loganair is strengthening its network and adding more seats and more travel options than ever before and we’re looking forward to a bright future.”

Loganair summer services are now available to book at www.flybe.com for travel up to and including 31 August 2017.