ROUTES EUROPE: Aircraft Buy Will Safeguard Regional Links in Scotland

The Scottish Government is understood to have approved funding for the acquisition of two Viking Air DHC-6 Twin Otter 400s for use on flights linking the remote communities on its many islands with the mainland. A tentative deal has already been signed with Viking Air and the two aircraft are planned for delivery in 2013 when existing contracts to operate these routes will be renewed.

Under the terms of any deal, the Scottish Government will retain ownership of the two turboprops and these will be chartered to operators to serve remote markets, including the beach runway of Barra, which provides an essential lifeline to the 1,200 residents of the small Hebridean Island. This market is currently served by Loganair under a franchise partnership with low-fare carrier Flybe. It currently uses a DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 on the route but will retire its aircraft from service, a move that could have resulted in the closure of the link to Barra from Glasgow as the turboprop is the only type permitted to land on the daily tide-washed cockleshell strand at Traigh Mhor.