Transport / Sumburgh-London service to expand in the summer despite winter suspension
THE SUMBURGH-Dundee-London flight service which is being suspended this winter is set to expand next summer.
Loganair chief executive Jonathan Hinkles said the service will increase from twice a week to three times a week in summer 2024.
An additional Sunday service will be introduced.
He told a meeting of Shetland’s external transport forum on Tuesday that it may seem odd to expand a service which has been suspended due to cost pressures.
But Hinkles explained that running the flights in January and February would result in a loss to Loganair due to increased costs and fewer passengers travelling at that time of the year.
The flights, which offer Shetland residents a one-plane service to London Heathrow via Dundee, are due to resume on 4 March.
Hinkles said there was not a large number of people booked on the flights in January and February before they were suspended, with passengers offered the chance to rebook onto alternative services.
“We cannot run services at a loss – it’s as simple as that,” he said.
The meeting heard that January and February have traditionally been the quietest months for Shetland routes.
Among the increases in costs faced by Loganair is a rise in NATS air traffic control fees.
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