Loganair boss says cutting services a 'hard decision'

Loganair boss Luke Farajallah says the decision to temporarily reduce the frequency of some of its flights was one of the "hardest decisions" the airline has made.

The move will affect Inverness and Western and Northern Isles services from 19 July.

Farajallah said if more funding was secured then full services could resume in October.

He said Loganair recognised the importance of the flights to islanders, but the routes had been "loss-making for a sustained period".

Farajallah said Inverness-Stornoway and Inverness-Kirkwall-Sumburgh services mattered "enormously" to the Glasgow-based airline.

The chief executive said the company had been discussing with Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd (Hial) and Transport Scotland the increasing challenges to its operations.

"The recent increase in fuel prices, together with escalations in aircraft repair costs, airport fees and route charges, mean that Loganair, Hial and Transport Scotland must find a way to sustain lifeline routes where passenger numbers are limited," he said.

He added: "We do not take these decisions lightly.

"These routes matter to us and to the communities they serve, but we must balance that commitment with the long-term sustainability of Loganair and the wider network those communities also rely on."

Farajallah said four UK airlines had entered administration in the last nine months.