Also in the news / Loganair award, textiles funding and more…
LOGANAIR has been named sustainable airline of the year at a European awards ceremony.
Airline chief Luke Farajallah collected the award at the European Regional Airline Association’s annual prize-giving in Seville on Wednesday.
Judges highlighted Loganair’s work towards achieving the first net zero passenger flights, which have included work in Orkney to convert inter-island aircraft to hydrogen power.
They also praised Loganair’s first all-electric turnaround of an aircraft at Stornoway Airport, where the airline is in the process of replacing over 100 pieces of ground service equipment to reduce emissions further.
More recently, Loganair announced a new partnership with Heart Aerospace to develop hybrid-electric aircraft for use across the airline’s extensive Scottish and UK network.
Farajallah called it “a significant accolade”, and testament to the “innovative approach we have long prized at Loganair”.
“Our GreenSkies programme, introduced in 2021 to mitigate the environmental impact of flying, was the first of its kind in the UK and we continue to be a pioneering force for change, exploring new technologies and forming partnerships dedicated to reducing aviation emissions,” he added.
THE SHETLAND Textiles Network has been awarded nearly £10,000 in funding from the Create:Networks initiative.
The Shetland Textiles Network is a recently formed collective of designers, technical experts, creative practitioners and educators dedicated to preserving and advancing Shetland’s rich textile tradition by “fostering innovation, facilitating training and supporting creative practice”.
The network said it is in the process of an “extensive scoping exercise” to assess needs, opportunities and options and to evaluate costs involved.
This will be followed by the creation of a business plan and an exploration of further sources of funding.
“Our vision is to establish an organisation that supports every aspect of the textile art and design process, from initial concept through to production, exhibition and sustainable business development,” the network added.
For more information about upcoming events or to join the Shetland Textiles Network, people are asked to contact project manager Sarah Dearlove at sarah.dearlove@shetlandtextilesnetwork.org.
MAREEL has paid tribute to its long serving maintenance technician as he steps into “well-deserved retirement”.
Angus Leask left the role at the beginning of the week, with Mareel saying he had been keeping the place together since the music and cinema venue opened its doors in 2012.
“Known for being an ingenious problem solver, if something couldn’t be fixed, Angus always found a way—or came up with an even better solution,” Mareel said on social media.
Shetland Arts has since advertised the role, which is described as being a part-time job for 30 hours a week.
The arts organisation has also thanked its Mareel staff following a difficult period, which has seen the café/bar closed or operating at reduced hours due to a lack of workers.
“Despite being short-staffed, everyone has pulled together to ensure that our classes, hires, events and films have continued to run smoothly with minimal disruption,” it said.
ONGOING infrastructure work on the upcoming Staney Hill housing development in Lerwick is on time and on budget, according to developer Hjaltland Housing Association.
Its chief executive Bryan Leask said on Friday that work on the ‘terrace’ section on the site is on target to achieve a completion date of summer 2025.
“Certain works were scheduled during the summer holidays, such as road crossings, which would have impacted on access to the school, and these were completed as planned,” he said.
The housing development will result in hundreds of new homes.
THE LATEST edition of Shetland in Statistics has been published, containing facts and figures on many aspects of the local economy, culture, society and physical characteristics.
First published in 1972 as a printed almanac, the publication has had a brief hiatus since 2017 before now being relaunched as a digital resource on Shetland Islands Council’s website.
The 2023 edition of Shetland in Statistics retains key datasets from previous editions, including population, economy, weather, transport, education and other topics.
Additions also include more in-depth information on the third sector, including volunteering and grant funding as well as energy usage, including carbon dioxide emissions and registration of electric vehicles.
SHETLAND Islands Council is consulting with harbour users, stakeholders and the community on possible options to redevelop Scalloway Harbour.
It is recognised that a future replacement will be needed for its west pier, which could also be extended, and that the current layout of the harbour area could be improved.
Other opportunities to attract new business would include increasing the water depth in the harbour for larger vessels, and offering new services for shore storage and boat repairs.
In the coming weeks, consultation meetings will take place with harbour users, and stakeholders including representatives of the fishing, aquaculture, renewables, engineering and freight industries.
A public drop-in session will also be held on Wednesday 30 October from 3pm-6pm at the Scalloway Youth Centre.
Details of some of the development options for Scalloway Harbour can be seen here.
THE LOCAL construction industry is being advised that it can find the latest information on housing work opportunities on Shetland Islands Council’s website.
The new pages are part of Future Housing, a joint initiative between Shetland Islands Council and Hjaltland Housing Association, which aims to address the future housing provision challenges for Shetland up to 2034.
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