Loganair has issued an urgent plea for Scottish and UK government intervention after temporarily reducing flights from Inverness to the Western Isles, Orkney, and Shetland due to financial losses triggered by rising fuel prices linked to the war in Iran.
Flight Reductions and Routes Affected
The regional airline has scrapped the morning flight between Inverness and Stornoway, which returned before midday. Additionally, flights between Inverness, Orkney, and Shetland—previously operating daily—are now running only on weekends. Loganair stated that the Inverness-Stornoway and Inverness-Kirkwall-Sumburgh routes have been losing money and urged governments to urgently develop a strategy for routes that are not commercially viable.
Impact on Healthcare
Gordon Jamieson, chief executive of NHS Western Isles, described the changes as a "significant deterioration" for island communities. He noted that 90% of patients travelling to Inverness for healthcare relied on the morning flight, which he called "mission critical" for those receiving and delivering care. The reduction is expected to affect approximately 1,100 appointments over the next three-and-a-half months. Jamieson warned of "significant additional costs" and said the health board would invest around £100,000 into patients' travel, while exploring evening clinics and asking visiting clinicians to stay longer.
Call for Government Support
Loganair has pushed for funding from government-owned Highlands and Islands Airports Limited (Hial) to reinstate flights. Transport Scotland urged Hial and Loganair to "work collaboratively" on a solution. The UK government stated it is looking into improving air links across the country.
Simon McNamara, Loganair's head of government and corporate affairs, attributed the difficulties to rising fuel costs: "The conflict in the Middle East escalated fuel prices. That flowed through to an industry-wide softening of demand." He suggested Norway as a potential model, where the government works alongside private operators to support essential air service routes. McNamara noted that Scotland lacks a long-term strategy and that a "vast majority" of Loganair's network is unsupported. Possible solutions include direct subsidies to "bridge a gap" or exemptions from certain taxes and charges.
