Loganair's Newcastle and Teesside to Aberdeen flights axed

Loganair announced on Wednesday (April 24), that it has completed an initial root and branch review of its operation under new CEO Luke Farajallah, and has confirmed it is taking "decisive action to stabilise and bring resilience to its core flying network."

Effective from May 10, Loganair said it would be removing, Aberdeen to Teesside, Aberdeen to Newcastle, and Glasgow to Southampton flights from its schedule.

A Loganair plane (Image: LOGANAIR)

The airline is announcing several route adjustments, most of which will be introduced in early May 2024.

It is expected that these network changes, once embedded, will help reduce the amount of operational disruption that Loganair’s customers and crews have been experiencing for over 18 months. 

Several other routes will see minor adjustments to frequency, in varying stages, until the end of the summer schedule on October 26, which will only affect Newcastle to Southampton in the region. which will see the route reduced from 15 to 13 per week.

Luke Farajallah, CEO, of Loganair, 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.

A Loganair flight on the tarmac (Image: LOGANAIR)

“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 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."

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Mr Farajallah added: "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”.