Loganair’s new CEO Luke Farajallah has apologised to customers for what he referred to as “unacceptable levels of disruption that have been experienced for over 18 months whilst the airline has been undertaking a re-fleeting programme”.
Following “an initial root and branch review” of Loganair’s operations, Farajallah said that the carrier was addressing “concerns that have been raised for a considerable time, especially from core markets in remote parts of Scotland”.
As a result several routes are being removed from the airline’s network from 10 May, namely Aberdeen to Teesside and Newcastle, and Glasgow to Southampton.
In addition several other routes will see “temporary, minor reductions” until the end of the summer schedules on 26 October.
- Edinburgh to Southampton – reduced from four to three times daily
- Inverness to Manchester – reduced from 11 to nine flights per week
- Inverness to Stornoway – reduced from ten to nine flights per week
- Isle of Man to Birmingham – Saturday services removed
- Glasgow to City of Derry – Thursday services removed
- Glasgow to Donegal – Friday services removed
- Newcastle to Southampton – reduced from 15 to 13 flights per week
Loganair said that the changes would result in “the stabilisation of the daily flying programme, a reduction in the number of flights delayed and cancelled, and less disruption for the Loganair crews and customers who will be able to book and fly with confidence”.
The carrier had also been set to expand services at Heathrow this summer, but as this forum thread from last month attests those plans have now been shelved.
Farajallah – who previously held senior positions at Flybe, BA CitiExpress and Brymon Airways – took over as Loganair’s CEO in early March, following the sudden departure of Jonathan Hinkles in January this year.
To read Hinkles LinkedIn post announcing he was standing down, click here.
Commenting on the changes Farajallah said:
“Since my first day as CEO of Loganair last month, I have been listening carefully to feedback from our loyal customers and hard-working crew, and I want to personally apologise to everyone who has been impacted by the unacceptable levels of disruption that have been experienced for over 18-months whilst the airline has been undertaking a re-fleeting programme.
“We appreciate the changes we are announcing today may impact some customers whose bookings may need to change. While we apologise to customers affected, this decision is one that has been made for the greater good of the vast majority of customers who must be able to book and fly with confidence, especially from some of the most remote parts of the UK.
“Loganair is the UK’s largest regional airline, and we are getting back to the basic principles that have made us successful for over six decades. We are ruthlessly focused on confidently serving our core markets and core customers, who must be able to book with certainty, and experience a stable and resilient flying programme. This is especially true for the Highlands and Islands communities who rely on Loganair for being so much more than an airline serving a leisure market.
“We have been falling short of the service levels expected of us by our loyal customers and amazing crew for over 18 months, and today we are making changes that once fully delivered throughout the summer will help restore the image and reputation we have fought so hard to generate over so many years as the trusted airline partner in our unique market.
“Our entire team and board of Directors is behind us in making these decisions, and we are all excited about the prospect of getting back to our core set of principles in our heartlands – and we intend to defend and grow our presence in these markets through the demonstration that we can and will deliver consistent operational stability and excellence.”
In October 2022 Loganair announced that owners Stephen and Peter Bond had decided to sell up after 25 years, but this process was halted in October 2023.
Have you flown with Loganair in recent months? Let us know your experience in the comments section below.
