LOGANAIR has underlined its continuing rejuvenation as an airline flying under its own banner by securing four new routes from Edinburgh Airport.
The Glasgow-based airline will introduce year-round services to Bergen and Stavanger in Norway and Islay and a seasonal route to Guernsey as part of its summer 2019 schedule from Edinburgh.
The routes highlight Loganair’s continuing expansion since ending its long-term franchise deal with Flybe in September last year, which in addition to expanding its route network has seen it form partnerships with major airlines. Deals with Qatar, Emirates, KLM, Air France and British Airways allow passengers in locations such as Shetland travel to long-haul destinations by booking a single ticket through Loganair.
Loganair already flies to Bergen from Glasgow, Inverness and Sumburgh and will add a second route to Norway when it begins operating four flights a week from Edinburgh to Stavanger, on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, in May. It will also begin flying to Bergen, billed as the “gateway to the fjords”, from Edinburgh three times a week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, around the same time.
Loganair said its new services to Bergen, Stavanger and Guernsey will be operated by a new addition to its 30-strong fleet, a 37-seat Embraer 135 jet.
The route to Islay from Edinburgh, which Loganair said will be the first ever scheduled air link to the Inner Hebrides, will be served by a 34-seat Saab 340. That service will start on March 25 and initially run four times a week before stepping up to a daily service by May – a morning flight on Saturdays and lunchtime services on the six other days. The seasonal Guernsey service will see the airline fly from Edinburgh to the Channel Island on Saturdays from May 11 to September 14.
Alongside the newly-announced routes, Loganair said it plans to increase the frequency of its flights between Edinburgh and the Isle of Man next year, including a Saturday flight during the famous TT motorcycle race weeks on the island in May and June.
Jonathan Hinkles, managing director of Loganair, said: “I’m delighted to launch four brand new routes from Scotland’s capital, significantly expanding our presence at Edinburgh.
“It marks the first phase of our summer 2019 schedule announcements, and we expect to make more in the coming months across our network. We know that Stavanger and Bergen will be of interest to both the leisure and corporate customer and have no doubt that both Islay and Guernsey will prove very popular to people looking for a holiday in these beautiful destinations.”
“With international connections via our Better Connected programme with our rapidly growing group of airline partners, we’re confident these routes will also customer demand in both directions, as passengers from Norway and Islay use Edinburgh as their gateway to the world.”
Loganair began flying under its own brand for the first time in 25 years after the Flybe split, and initially went head to head its former franchise partner on routes connecting Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen with destinations such as Stornoway, Kirkwall and Sumburgh. However, Flybe has since gradually scaled back the services it offers to the Highlands and Islands.
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