Sadly, I can't imagine Loganair being in the market for more bases. Especially English ones. As perfect as MME would be for me, I can't see it happening. I would have thought the best chance for a new Loganair base would be DSA, given the opportunities open to them following flyBe pulling out. Still, this is fantasy. Any more routes and airports will probably be serviced remotely from their northern UK bases.

I see the NCL-ABZ is now running. Direct competition between Loganair and Eastern Airways. Just minutes apart too. I spoke with a dispatcher in ABZ today who commented that the Loganair jets are already taking more passengers than their Eastern Airways counterparts. Surprising, given the NCL-ABZ route hasn't even been going a week. I also took the opportunity to speak to a few crew. EA crews have been told that Loganair's numbers will eventually dwindle and the route will be too thin to operate jets on. Loganair crews seem to think their cheaper fares and better reliability will bring the passengers. All in all, it should be an interesting few months for both Loganair and Eastern.

Just like the previous N Isles bunfight between Logan & Flybe, I'll give it a few months......

Fare war
 

Initially low fares to entice custom doesn't work in regional aviation. And from what I have seen the LM loads compared to the T3 loads are actually quite comparable.

But taking into the consideration the operational cost of a 145 to a J41 with the same loads it's easy to see who can sustain the lower load factors for longer.

LMs major expansion and rejigging with ultimately lead to their downfall, T3 have learned that and being burned by the partnership with the devil in Purple.

Interesting and rather scary times ahead for both companies.

As a side note, I'd love to see Sierra Nevada successful in bringing the 328 back to the market. A wonderful aircraft.

From looking at tomorrow, both airlines are selling at £80ish one-way northbound and on the Thursday night return flights from Aberdeen, fares are bordering on £200 one-way. I wouldn't call that low fares in either camp!

That doesn't seem to be the case though. It sounds like LM are getting the higher loads?

Had to laugh at that one - if that's truly what they are telling you, then best of luck to you all. The comment about being burned by the devil in Purple is comedy gold - every account I've heard is that the bloke in charge of Eastern today was the same person responsible for that purple partnership. From all that I see there is a clear objective and if Eastern has learned anything over the years, it's not totally obvious what that might be. Loganair is a much larger airline today than it was, and Eastern is a shrinking shadow of what it was in its heyday.

Might be worth looking at how the current Loganair got to be so much larger.

Absolutely. But the inescapable fact remains that Eastern is about 13 aircraft if what's posted on their thread is correct and Loganair is about 45 depending on what you count or exclude. It's a heck of a difference in size.

Probably taking over from the Nordica wet lease.

Edit: I was too slow.

Aberdeen is getting quite a good Norwegian route network now.