First Minister Nicola Sturgeon congratulates Loganair on 60th anniversary
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Scottish-based airline Loganair is marking its 60th anniversary with news of a special diamond ticket competition and an agreement with partner airline BA that will make air travel smoother.
Headquartered in Glasgow, the UK’s largest regional airline was formed on February 1 1962, now flies over 70 routes throughout the British Isles, Norway and Denmark, and serves a total of 34 UK airports.
With a fleet of 43 aircraft it now employs 830 staff, the vast majority of whom live and work in Scotland.
Loganair's anniversary was marked in true birthday style with balloons and cake, commemorative chocolates for customers on every flight and a special 60th anniversary offer for its Clan Loganair frequent flyers club.
To celebrate the special birthday, Loganair has also launched a competition to give away a diamond ticket, consisting of 60 free flights across its network, to one lucky winner. The airline is asking people to enter the competition by nominating an individual or group – perhaps a sporting team, a youth group, a Gaelic choir – most deserving of this unusual gift.
The special day also sees a very significant expansion of Loganair’s partnership with British Airways, with18 more Loganair routes added to its BA codeshare agreement. This will provide greater choice and connectivity for customers by enabling flights to be bought via BA's ticket channels and easing transfer on to onward flights.
The new agreement includes the Loganair Inverness to Birmingham service as well as Aberdeen flights to Belfast City, Birmingham, Bristol, Manchester, and Southampton, flights between Norwich and Aberdeen and Edinburgh, and the Isle of Man to Edinburgh route.
The airline has also announced Greenock computing lecturer Davy Nicol as the winner of its competition for a commemorative soundtrack to mark its 60 years of service with his song, Fly with Me.
Jonathan Hinkles, Loganair’s chief executive, said: “We are thrilled to be celebrating our 60th anniversary, an unrivalled milestone in the UK regional airline industry. In the time that Loganair has been serving customers in Scotland and beyond, over 50 other airlines have come and gone – yet a constant has been the commitment of Loganair to keeping communities connected.
“Today’s milestone could never have been reached without the efforts and dedication of Scott Grier, Loganair’s president and the driving force of the airline between 1976 and 2012; Loganair’s dedicated team of staff throughout the last six decades; and the unwavering commitment of our owners, Stephen and Peter Bond, who have now been involved with the airline for over 20 years.
“We’re delighted to announce a major expansion of our partnership with British Airways, effectively doubling the number of routes on which we co-operate to bring benefits for customers. The development cements what we believe to be the longest-running relationship between two UK airlines, and it’s a partnership which will continue to deliver for customers throughout the UK.
“The next 60 years will undoubtedly see a different set of challenges, yet I’m already hugely encouraged by progress to develop new carbon-neutral electrical and hydrogen power sources for domestic flights. It’s clear that short-haul domestic flights will be the first to benefit from these new technologies, and I fully expect that we’ll see the first of these powering Loganair customers to the destination within the first six of our next 60 years.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon congratulated the airline on achieving this milestone and commented: “For six decades now, Loganair, the oldest name in UK airlines, has made an exceptional contribution to the Scottish economy.
"Since 1962, the airline has helped keep the country moving, ensuring that people across Scotland are connected – particularly those living in and visiting our most remote communities. The importance of that has never been clearer than during the pandemic as the airline continued to operate, transporting patients, tests and equipment across Scotland and beyond.”
