The problem is, according to a report in The Illeach, that the flight was biased 90/10 in favour of passengers originating in Edinburgh with only a low uptake from passengers on the island. So, that seems at first glance to mean that the flight is unpopular, but that depends on how you look at it as, presumably the majority of those passengers originating in Edinburgh will return there. Remember that Islay is only a small island with a population of approximately 3,500 but a place that attracts a relatively large number of tourists due to the existence of a some excellent distilleries. To the people of Islay the existence of an air service is a life-line. The existing service to Glasgow is very popular and is used by a large number of the inhabitants who need to travel to hospital appointments in Glasgow - the alternative is a road/ferry service of over 5 hours and using a ferry that is often overbooked due to the number of freight vehicles are also utilise it. Apparently Loganair decided to publicly announce the withdrawal of the service without even discussing the matter with the local council.