Loganair launches new routes from Aberdeen and East Midlands Airport

Loganair jet services from Aberdeen to Newcastle and Norwich commenced yesterday (September 1), as the airline establishes itself as the North-East airport’s largest operator both by number of flights and destinations served.

Meanwhile, today (September 2) the airline is also marking its first services from East Midlands Airport, flying to Inverness and Brussels – as it is welcomed as the newest operator from the region’s airport.

It is providing up to three non-stop weekday services to Norwich and Newcastle from Aberdeen, as well as non-stop Sunday services to each region – operated by a 49-seat Embraer 145 jet aircraft.

UK Civil Aviation Authority data demonstrated that another operator on the route to Newcastle cancelled a nearly a quarter of its scheduled flights in 2018 with only 65.5% departing on time (within 15 minutes of scheduled departure).

With bases in Aberdeen, Norwich and Newcastle, Loganair has aircraft and engineering capacity in the North East of Scotland, Newcastle and Norfolk, supporting a robust operation.

Reliable connectivity between the regions is important for the growth of the transport reliant offshore industry and the airline has indicated ticket sales from oil and gas customers have been encouraging. Those travelling north with Loganair will also benefit from secure onward connections to Orkney, Shetland and Esbjerg.

Customers holding Vantage Cards or valid offshore ID’s also receive extra flexibility from the airline to help with changes in shifts patterns or weather that impacts upon connecting helicopter flights.

With one of the most generous complimentary luggage allowances, inflight hospitality and frequent flyer programmes of any UK carrier, Loganair is confident that its competitive offering will be popular with customers flying between the three destinations and onwards via the Aberdeen hub.

From East Midlands, Loganair is providing early morning and afternoon flights to Brussels between Monday and Thursday as well as afternoon services on Friday and Sunday, allowing convenient day-return options for business and well-timed weekend flights for those looking to explore the grand European City that is also home to famous beer, waffles and chocolate.

It is also operating six times per week to Inverness – with strong business links between the two regions.

Furthermore, it now means those living in the midlands can reach the dramatic Highlands of Scotland in just over an hour, as opposed to the previous eight to 10 hour road or rail journey; Thus a short break in the UK’s largest national

Kay Ryan, Commercial Director at Loganair, said: “We’re delighted to be further strengthening our hub at Aberdeen Airport, complementing our existing network in the North-East.

“We know our new routes from Newcastle and Norwich are important links for the offshore industry and we’re looking forward to delivering a frequent, dependable and rewarding service for those in the industry.

“East Midlands is an ideally positioned airport, providing easy access to major cities across six different counties and these links to Inverness and Brussels will be hugely beneficial to the region.”

Steve Szalay, Managing Director at Aberdeen International Airport, said: “It’s fantastic to have Loganair increasing its presence and capacity at Aberdeen International Airport. The move helps solidify the North East’s connectivity to the North East of England and East Anglia; some of the UK’s leading off-shore energy regions.”

Karen Smart, East Midlands Airport’s Managing Director, says: “The addition of Loganair to the existing fleet of operators based at EMA was achieved by working in collaboration with Toyota. Airlines are more likely to want to fly from here if the business case stacks up and, thanks to Toyota’s commitment to use it regularly, Loganair were willing to step in and not only fill a vacancy but launch a brand-new route to Scotland for our passengers. This demonstrates what is possible with the right business backing.”

Reservations can be made at www.loganair.co.uk, by calling Loganair’s Customer Contact Centre on 0344 800 2855 or via travel agents and travel management companies using all major Global Distribution Systems.

For more information please contact Tim Malseed on 0141 333 9585 or tim.malseed@bigpartnership.co.uk