Loganair to seek government help amid Covid-19 travel restrictions

Loganair expects to ask the government for financial support to help amid the Covid-19 pandemic “in the coming days”.

Chief executive Jonathan Hinkles said the virus has had an “enormous effect on all UK airlines”.

“The government has made it clear that it is open to requests for support from individual airlines and while Loganair has not yet taken up this invite, we fully expect to join other UK airlines in doing so in the coming days,” he added.

The airline announced further reductions to its flight offerings due to the pandemic last week.

As previously reported, only a “skeleton schedule” of essential air services will operate in Scotland.

The only flights it will run to or from Sumburgh Airport until at least 20th April will be connections with Aberdeen and Kirkwall – all others have been cancelled.

Loganair, which previously operated more than 70 routes to serving six European countries, has also reduced the number of staff working in its contact centre, and cut its opening hours.

Many other airlines have also cut services, including EasyJet, which said today it had grounded its entire fleet of planes due to the “unprecedented travel restrictions” imposed on travel aid the pandemic.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak last week advised airlines to seek other forms of funding to help them through the crisis as the government would only step in as a “last resort”.