News / Loganair shutdown on weekend of Orkney Folk Festival
LOGANAIR has cancelled all flights in and out of Sumburgh on Thursday 23 May as a result of industrial action by air traffic controllers.
The company, that operates the lifeline services to the Northern Isles, has also rescheduled and put on additional flights on Wednesday and Friday.
The situation will be especially irksome for some, as the cancellations are on the weekend of the Orkney Folk Festival and some Shetland attendees may have to re-jig their travel plans.
A statement on Loganair’s website says: “Where possible, we are adding extra flights on 22 and 24 May to help customers unable to travel on 23 May to rearrange their travel itineraries.”
Strikes at five other Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd airports have also led to a Loganair shutdown on 23 May. Benbecula, Dundee, Inverness, Kirkwall, Stornoway are affected and Wick may also be added to the list.
The statement continues: “Due to HIAL industrial action, all flights to and from Benbecula, Dundee, Inverness, Kirkwall, Stornoway and Sumburgh will be cancelled. If you are booked to travel on this date, we are offering the option to change your travel plans (including any associated outward or return journey) to move to any available flight on the same or equivalent route between Monday 20 May and Monday 27 May. There will be no charge payable (i.e. the usual change fees plus any difference in fare will be waived for all ticket types).
“If your journey involves a connection with another airline, we, unfortunately, cannot guarantee that other airlines will offer the same flexibility to change tickets. We recommend that customers check with the second airline around their onward travel. Alternatively, if you elect not to travel, you can request a refund may be taken for any journey or part of a journey not used.”
The Sumburgh shut down affects flights to and from Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness and Kirkwall. All Orkney inter-island services are also affected.
According to Loganair, on Wednesday 22 May its LM 139 flight from Inverness to Kirkwall to Sumburgh will now operate Inverness to Kirkwall only and its LM 357 flight from Edinburgh to Sumburgh will leave 45 minutes earlier. There will be an extra flight from Sumburgh to Edinburgh LM 358 at 7.15pm.
On Friday 24 May the LM 352 Sumburgh to Edinburgh flight will be 50 minutes later and the LM 436 flight Sumburgh to Glasgow will be 55 minutes later.
Added flights on Friday are the LM 353 Edinburgh to Sumburgh at 6.30am and the LM 439 Glasgow to Sumburgh at 6.30am.
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