FLIGHTS from Inverness to the Western and Northern isles are to be fully restored later this year, the Scottish Government has confirmed.
Loganair announced plans in June to significantly reduce island connections due to sustainability concerns, but said flights could return to normal in October if funding was available.
The Scottish airline had said that “after reviewing all operational and financial options, we can no longer sustain the current level of service without impacting the wider business”.
In July, Transport Secretary Stephen Flynn said that the SNP Government would not step in to fund the flights as "these are commercial services and the Scottish Government has no direct power to intervene in their provision”.
However, in a U-turn, the Scottish Government has now confirmed funding to safeguard the routes, with Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd (Hial) receiving more than £1 million granted to reinstate the frequency of connections from Inverness to Stornoway, Kirkwall and Sumburgh.
The flights are due to start from October 26, following weeks of cross-party campaigning to protect the routes.
Announcing the news, Flynn said: "Hial and Loganair have worked collaboratively through commercial discussions to restart these services from 26 October, providing greater certainty to passengers.
"Transport Scotland will now work with Hial and industry stakeholders to discuss next steps for a sustainable, long-term solution to protect Highlands and Islands air services for those who rely on them."
Hial chief executive Paul Kelsall added: "As has been the case throughout this process, we are committed to finding a lasting solution which benefits the passengers who use our airports.
"We will continue to work closely with Transport Scotland and all other stakeholders to put these routes on a sustainable, long-term footing."
Loganair chief executive Luke Farajallah said: "We're a privately owned airline, and keeping thin routes like these flying isn't something we can always do alone, so we're genuinely pleased that the Scottish government has stepped in to make full services possible again from October."
