Sumburgh and Wick top of the airport pops

Strong performances at Scotland’s most northerly airports contributed to a rise of nearly 10 per cent in the number of passengers using regional hubs last month.

Sumburgh airport in Shetland. Picture: PA

Operator Hial handled 126,672 passengers overall in September, an increase of 11,229, or 9.7 per cent, on the same month last year.

The group, which runs 11 airports north of the Border, pointed to “particularly strong growth” at Sumburgh airport in Shetland, pictured above, and Wick John O’Groats, the UK’s most northerly mainland airport.

Wick handled 4,634 passengers in September, up 119 per cent compared with the same month last year.

Some 25,447 passed through Sumburgh last month, up 58 per cent on last year’s figure.

Airline Loganair recently increased capacity between Wick John O’Groats and Edinburgh and is providing more flights between Sumburgh and Glasgow from November, Hial said.

Growth at Kirkwall, Inverness and Islay airports also contributed to the overall increase in passenger numbers for Hial.

But numbers were down at Barra, Benbecula, Campbeltown, Dundee, Stornoway and Tiree airports.