UK regional carrier Loganair is to cut three routes from its network and reduce frequencies on some others following a review by new chief executive Luke Farajallah aimed at improving its operational resilience.
From 10 May Loganair will drop its Aberdeen flights to Newcastle and Teesside, as well as its Glasgow-Southampton service. The Scotland-based carrier will also make some minor frequency cuts on other flights over the summer.
”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,” Farajallah says.
Loganair in January completed the replacement of its Saab 340 fleet with ATR turboprops, while it has been harmonising its jet fleet around Embraer ERJ-145s.
While Loganair, which began flights from London Heathrow for the first time during the pandemic, doubled pre-tax profits to £10.9 million ($13.5 million) in the year ended March 2023, Farajallah had flagged the impact of operational challenges and inflationary pressures.
“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,” says Farrajallah.
”We are relentlessly 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.
“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.”
