Scottish carrier Loganair has announced plans to operate PSO (Public Service Obligation) services from City of Derry and Dundee to London Heathrow next month, subject to government approval.
This comes after the carrier secured 30 additional pairs of slots each week at Heathrow airport under a lease arrangement with BA.
Loganair will move its existing Dundee service from London City airport (LCY) into Heathrow’s Terminal 2 on May 6, while its City of Derry service will swap from Stansted airport (STN) to Heathrow T2 on May 7.
The flights will continue to be operated using Embraer 145 Regional Jets and ATR42 aircraft respectively.
Flight timings will change slightly, with morning flights departing Dundee at 0700 and evening flights returning from Heathrow at 1850. Morning flights will leave City of Derry at 0635 instead of the current 0650.
Loganair says that future bookings of customers held on previous flights to and from LCY or STN have been safeguarded, with customers notified of the change in London terminus.
Same-plane services from Kirkwall airport in the Orkney Islands and Sumburgh airport in the Shetland Islands via Dundee to London will also move to Heathrow airport on May 7.
Loganair’s CEO, Jonathan Hinkles, commented:
“Alongside excellent ground transport links into central London, the new range of global flight connections will bring new inward investment opportunities and tourism into the UK’s regions, together with enabling travellers to use their local airport to fly worldwide for the first time.”
Heathrow’s chief commercial officer, Ross Baker, said:
“Welcoming further Loganair services to Heathrow is exciting, with UK passengers and businesses set to benefit from hundreds of onward connections around the world.
“Our domestic charging discounts will continue to support further growth in our domestic network – which is vital to strengthen our role as the UK’s hub airport, helping to level-up investment across the country, while connecting more people and businesses to global growth.”
The airline says that the Heathrow operations will offer “excellent access” to central London thanks to the Elizabeth line connection and also open up the possibility of new connections for its customers.
Loganair added that the move to Heathrow will open up more seats, with additional flights to and from City of Derry and more seats available on existing flights to and from Dundee. Additionally, the carrier said that “more efficient air traffic routings into Heathrow will cut flight times and carbon emissions”.
