Loganair’s CEO, Luke Farajallah, has announced several route cuts and readjustments in a bid to reduce operational disruption and ‘stabilise’ its core flying network.
The Scottish airline’s route adjustments and cuts will be introduced from 10 May 2024. According to Loganair, the intended outcome is to stabilise the daily flying programme, reduce flight delays and cancellations, and lower disruption for crews and customers.
Commenting on the cuts, Farajallah said: “We have been falling short of the service levels expected of us. […] 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.”
Loganair CEO Luke Farajallah has apologised to customers after ‘unacceptable’ levels of disruption. Photo: Loganair
The three route cuts are Aberdeen to Teesside, Aberdeen to Newcastle, and Glasgow to Southampton. Several other minor frequency adjustments on routes will happen, in varying stages, until the end of the summer schedule on 26 October.
These notably include some Highland routes: Inverness to Stornoway and Inverness to Manchester, both of which have been reduced to nine flights per week. The Highlands and Islands communities rely on Loganair as a lifeline for regional transport.
Two Glasgow routes – to Derry and Donegal – have lost their Thursday and Friday services, respectively. The Edinburgh to Southampton route has been reduced to 3x daily, Newcastle to Southampton has been reduced to 13x a week, and the Isle of Man to Birmingham has removed its Saturday services.
Farajallah said that these route adjustments have been made for the “greater good” of its customers. He was appointed CEO of Loganair on 4 March 2024, having previously held senior roles at flybe, BA CitiExpress and Brymon Airways.
“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,” he added.
