Airline looks to secure future

A TROUBLED airline serving island communities hopes to secure its future by the weekend.

Inverness-based Highland Airways has admitted facing "difficult trading", exacerbated recently by the severe winter, which reduced flying and income.

The company had stopped taking online reservations and was accepting only on-the-day bookings until Wednesday night.

Bookings will now be accepted for all flights up to Sunday, but seats on flights beyond that cannot be reserved.

A spokesman for the airline said yesterday: "It is hoped that at that stage we will be close to knowing whether the long-term future has been secured, and full functionality can be restored."

He added: "The board has been seeking new investment, and has been in discussion with several parties."