Loganair's unique Barra beach flights disrupted by mystery weather phenomenon

Loganair’s unique beach landings on Barra are being disrupted by apparent changes in weather patterns, The Scotsman has learned.

The airline has commissioned research to find out why tides are being held in the bay which doubles as a runway for its tiny aircraft.

A Twin Otter on Traigh Mhor beach near the northern tip of Barra | Stefan Auth/imageBROKER/Shutterstock

It hopes to establish whether changing wind patterns are responsible for the intermittent problem delaying flights, such as from increasingly frequent and severe storms.

However, Loganair has stressed it is not seeking to reduce the world’s only scheduled beach flights, which connect the Hebridean island with Glasgow twice a day.

Tourists come from across the world for the experience, with Loganair last year celebrating 50 years of taking over the service, which started in 1936. Its Twin Otter aircraft can only take up to 15 passengers.

‘New pattern developing’

Chief executive Luke Farajallah told The Scotsman “We are not talking about Barra landings per se, it’s about the timings.

“But, as yet, there is nothing concrete or conclusive in what we have seen, other than specific random events that create a tide being held in the bay longer than expected by wind, causing some delays. That's a new pattern that we've seen developing.

“I wouldn’t want to create any anxiety or concern for the residents that we are in any way looking to reduce the schedule. Regardless of any findings, we would never do that.”

Mr Farajallah said: “There was a sense that tidal patterns have changed slightly, but there’s also a belief that we’re seeing more windy conditions - longer, more prevalent storms and of a higher magnitude and intensity.”

He said this could be having a tidal impact as “the bay within which Barra airport sits is very subject to wind”.

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Mr Farajallah said Loganair had had to cancel all the flights one day for the first time during a storm in January, which he said was “more evidence that winds are changing”.

The chief executive said: “What we’ve started to see is tides being held in longer than previously because of higher, longer-standing winds.

“You’ve got to extrapolate that against whether there is any actual pattern or any change in the tides, which is probably far less likely.

“It’s probably far more driven by the change in the climate from the wind perspective and wind direction.

Loganair chief executive Luke Farajallah said it would not reduce Barra flights whatever the research findings | The Scotsman

“We are still researching it because things are definitely changing and we are seeing storms and high winds on a more frequent basis.

“Because that particular airport is so subject to tides, the wind is making a difference to the tides, so that’s where we are directing our research at the moment.

“It will go on for months because we are going to get lots and lots of research under our belt before we can make any conclusions.

‘More evidence last summer than any other’

"We're looking at the pattern because that hasn't been something we've seen regularly or routinely in the last few years.”

The phenomenon happened on a number of occasions last summer and for a “short time” in the winter, but conditions have been calmer since.

Mr Farajallah said: "We've had evidence of it last summer more so than any other summer.”