Loganair has confirmed that it will no longer operate flights from Newcastle Airport to Aberdeen from next month amid a major overhaul of its network.
The Scottish airline has announced several route adjustments set to be introduced in early May, which are expected to help reduce the amount of "operational disruption" that customers have been experiencing. This means that Loganair flights from Newcastle to Aberdeen will be stopped from May 10, while the Teesside to Aberdeen route is also being removed on the same date.
Additionally, Loganair's Glasgow to Southampton route will cease to operate next month, while several other flights will see "minor adjustments" made until the end of the summer schedule on October 26. The shake-up has been carried out under new CEO Luke Farajallah, with the new leadership team saying action has been taken in order to "stabilise and bring resilience to its core flying network".
Luke 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."
The Loganair CEO added that the airline has been "falling short of the service levels expected of us by our loyal customers and amazing crew", and said the team was looking forward to "getting back to our core set of principles in our heartlands". The Glasgow-based company currently flies to around 40 destinations around the UK, Ireland, Isle of Man, Denmark and Norway.
The airline said that it hopes to reduce the number of delayed and cancelled flights by bringing in these changes, which it added will lead to "less disruption for the Loganair crews and customers who will be able to book and fly with confidence".
Aircraft supply chain problems "exacerbated by post-Brexit regulations", as well as regulatory barriers such as "the blocking of student loans for trainee pilots" contributing to a growing shortage of qualified pilots, were among the main issues highlighted by Loganair as having impacted its performance within the last 18 months.
A statement from Newcastle Airport said: "Loganair provides valuable connectivity for passengers flying between the North East, the rest of the UK and Norway. Although we are disappointed with the loss of the Newcastle to Aberdeen service and apologise to any passengers this news has affected, we are pleased that the airline will continue to operate five routes from the Airport - Newquay, Southampton, Exeter, Bergen and Stavanger.
"We have a strong relationship with Loganair and the airline's passion for providing the best possible customer experience aligns closely with our own. We will continue to support the Loganair team as they take proactive steps to deliver a step-change in operational performance and customer satisfaction," the airport added. There are currently no other airlines offering direct flights from Newcastle to Aberdeen.
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