More bad news for ScotAirways from today's Scotsman:
[quote]Scotairways to suspend service from Aberdeen
JANE GILLARD Northern Business Reporter
SCOTAIRWAYS is to suspend the operation of its Aberdeen to London City Airport route on Sunday, just two months after taking it over.
The Cambridge-based carrier, which is part-owned by Stagecoach founder Brian Souter and his sister Ann Gloag, has blamed a lack of customers and a downturn in the aviation industry following the 11 September attacks for the termination of the service.
Fares ranged from £99 to £310 return for the three times a day route.
Scotairways commercial manager Jerry Froggett said: "Given the current trading environment for airlines we found it was not viable for us.
"It is very disappointing and we certainly didn’t expect to have to make an announcement to come out of Aberdeen so soon."
The year-old Aberdeen to London City route had been operated by British European before it was taken over by Scotairways at the end of October.
The suspension of the service came just a day after the airline announced it was suspending flights between Inverness and London City after just four months of operation.
Both routes failed to match the success of Scotairways’ flights from Dundee and Edinburgh to London City.
"Everybody is talking about 11 September and it had a very big effect as there is less confidence in the travelling public’s mind at the moment," Froggett said.
He added he was surprised there was not a better use of the service early on.
However he declined to give figures on the number of passengers using the route.
Froggett stressed that the service was being suspended rather than axed at this stage. The suspension of the Scotairways route leaves Aberdeen serviced by easyJet and British Airways.
Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce chief executive Amanda Harvie said the loss of the service should not be blown out of proportion.
Harvie said: "There are 26 flights from Aberdeen to and from London every weekday and a total of 164 per week so I don’t think the business community will see an adverse reaction. There is still frequency and there is still choice."<hr></blockquote>