I think though that currently, NHS Highland in Caithness has a deal with NHS Grampian (?), I know years ago we used to book a lot of traffiic that way (and all at full economy fare for flexibility). Times change of course and perhaps more go to Inverness now.
Wick - Kirkwall and onwards is an elegant solution - should satisfy the island* lobbies who retain their non stop flights, and gives Wick a lifeline. (*Except when Wick is fogbound, which used to happen a lot in the summer.)

Highland Council has updated the PSO to include Wick - Edinburgh services.

I doubt Wick Airport will see scheduled services before the start of this PSO.

https://www.johnogroat-journal.co.uk/news/flights-to-edinburgh-included-in-open-tender-for-wick-pso-fl-422179/]The contract specification seeks an operator to offer services from Wick to both Aberdeen and Edinburgh, on an initial two-year basis

Might this be enough to tempt Loganair back...

​​​​​​​They weren’t interested last time it went out to tender.

….but the logistics of essentially being paid to include EDI will have changed making anything out of Wick (slightly) more appealing. EDI was not included last time. Regardless - still chucking it down a money pit.

The PSO states a 30-50 seat aircraft is necessary; LM only have ATR42s & ERJ145s that fit this capacity range.

​​​​​​​Do/Would they have the necessary resources to fulfil the contract since taking on the JER base following the demise of Blue Islands?

I'm not aware of anything in the new bid which mandates that. You can put in options to fly more often with a smaller aircraft if you want.

From memory the 145's struggle for performance in the wet at Wick, although that may be based on a full load which might not exactly be an issue!

With a declared LDA of about 1,410m on each end, anyone seriously contemplating regular E145 operations into Wick should be sectioned under the Mental Health Act. It's fine for an ATR and maybe even an E135, but not an E145.

Clearly there is much going on
1) Last time this went out to tender, there were separate tenders for Aberdeen and Edinburgh and Loganair declined to bid for Edinburgh
2) There have been talks with Loganair for the temporary operation of Aberdeen which appear to have been unsuccessful.
3) The two routes have now been packaged together and operational flexibility is now planned. This is a tender that has been designed with a particular airline in mind.
4) There aren’t many airline options!

So, if Loganair are not interested, which other outfits could operate the Wick services.........

Seriously, I don’t have the local knowledge, ,could a Ryanair or easyjet from London land and take off on the runway?

What is the legal situation post-Brexit regarding PSO-tenders? While in the common market airlines from all member states need to be given equal rights when it comes to PSOs, must the funder now give UK airlines priority?

Only UK airlines can operate domestic flights in the UK. Whether it's a PSO route or not doesn't matter.

if its tax payer funded then it should only be U.K. airlines, keep the profits in the U.K.

Well, that could easily mean at some point in the future that it is back to steam trains and horse carriages, given the dwindling number of carriers operating PSO-suitable aircraft...

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....6ccd29242a.png

Apparently from the Eastern Airways pprune page..........

Eastern Airways has been bought for £6 million by startup 'EcoJetAir'

Intention is to operate under Air Kilroe with Jetstreams and then expand to almost replicate the former fleet of ATR's and E190s...

Maybe there is hope for Wick Airport

that EcoJet name rings a bell, thought it was some electric start up or hydrogen nonsense from EDI?

PSO awarded to Air Charter Scotland operated by AIS Airlines on a Jetstream 32.

https://share.google/HIzfwoduPxcBKAAHL