Loganair summer bookings soar to "unprecedented" levels

Summer flight bookings to the Western and Northern Isles have soared by nearly one fifth to 'unprecedented' levels, Loganair announced today.

Loganair will operate a third daily flight to Barra this summer - when the tides allow. Picture: Loganair

The airline said it showed a “clear trend” towards people choosing to holiday in the UK.

Some of the increases have followed extra seats being laid on, such as with additional flights.

Loganair said sales to the islands for July were 18 per cent up on last year, and 16 per up in August.

The biggest increase has been to Barra, where bookings are up by 38 per cent between June and August, partly because of a third extra daily flight to the beach airport - subject to suitable tides.

The Glasgow-based carrier said it had also added capacity on routes to Shetland, Orkney, Stornoway, Benbecula and Islay.

Managing director Jonathan Hinkles said: “We always expect summer to be busy, yet the advance booking figures for this year suggest it will be busier than ever.

“People are opting to stay closer to home and our bookings reflect that.

“It’s clear our increased schedule is also proving popular in an environment where customers are looking for – and clearly finding - holiday options closer to home.”

A Loganair spokesman added: “The surge is in early bookings during the summer months, which is a slightly different pattern to trends associated with business travel, such as later bookings, different types of seats and no children."

The bookings increase come as the airline prepares to part company with Flybe in September, going it alone for the first time in decades after a series of franchise agreements with the Exeter-based carrier and British Airways, which have sold tickets on its behalf.