Stornoway - Aberdeen link soon?
 

Western Isles Council are trying to progress calls for a direct link between Lewis & ABZ,to serve islanders who travel through to the Granite City via Inverness(by plane then train)to work in the oil industry,health service,student population,etc.

There were calls earlier in the year,& W.I.C. are now trying to push for a reintroduction of the link,not served sine the late 70s/very early 80s(Air Ecosse?).

An MP is writing to the Scottish Transport Minister,in the hope that they can gain a Public Service Order to help subsidise the route & get it started.

Loganair are believed to have been looking at a business plan to start the link,but potential passengers are frustrated at the lack of progress up to now.

Apparently an internet "petition" calling for a route has, in the few days it has been running, attracted between 400-500 signatures,& counting.

(Maybe if the demand is there as has been suggested the route won't need a PSO to help it??)

If the demand is there a commercial operator will be interested.

If commercial operators are not interested then most likely the demand is not there.

Enter the PSO public funds sloshing about and local politicians at all airports saying "I want some of that" regardless of its utility.

I guess the reasoning is that there is some potential demand, but it wouldn't pay the fare levels that a commercial operator would need to make a profit - cue Local Authority to request PSO status. However, up til now, UK has stepped back from imposing more PSOs, instead we've had Route Development Funding which is not the same, but it has launched a number of new routes.

Flights to start Jan 2006
 

M-F with Eastern Airways.

Fares from £99.

May bring forward depending on aircraft deliveries.

Whilst Aberdeen to Stornoway may prove to be attractive to the North Sea off shore workers, flying from Inverness with Loganair could well prove to be cheaper ?

:cool:

"Whilst Aberdeen to Stornoway may prove to be attractive to the North Sea off shore workers, flying from Inverness with Loganair could well prove to be cheaper ?"

Eh, doh, doesn't that depend on where you are coming from ??

If they're going after the student market as stated, then at Eastern's prevailing fares I can only assume that students have more money than when I was one.

If they are going after oil workers then I wonder why public PSO money is being spent on giving some of the highest paid workers in Scotland an easier ride home because they have chosen to live 250 miles away from where their jobs are, presumably because it is a "nicer" lifestyle.