Loganair pulls out of Teesside Airport as airline scraps Aberdeen route in 'disappointing' blow

Loganair has pulled out of Teesside Airport as it scraps its route to Aberdeen.

The Scottish airline has announced that it will be pulling the flights from May 10 later this year, following a review of its operations under new CEO Luke Farajallah. This means Loganair will no longer operate any flights from the Darlington airport.

The firm said the decision comes in response to customer feedback, with "decisive action" being taken in a bid to boost operational performance. Teesside Airport has said it was "disappointing" to see the airline pull routes across the country, with Aberdeen to Newcastle and Glasgow to Southampton also being scrapped. Airport chiefs say they are now "examining opportunities" for alternative airlines to provide the route.

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Loganair returned to Teesside Airport back in 2021, having previously left in 2018, with five flights to Aberdeen, Belfast City, Jersey, Newquay and Dublin. It made a "long-term commitment" at the time, even naming one of its planes the Spirit of Teesside.

However, shortly after in August 2022, Loganair pulled out of its routes from Newquay Airport in Cornwall, seeing an early end to Teesside’s summer weekly flight to the South West. Then, in December 2022, the firm announced that flights from Teesside Airport to Dublin and Belfast were to be axed in 2023 due to "low demand". And according to the airports website, the Jersey flight is now operated by Fairs-Lloyds Travel.

When these flights were pulled, the firm "confirmed its commitment to its Aberdeen service." But now, the route, which currently operates flights once a day from Monday to Friday and on Sunday, has been binned.

As well as the three scrapped routes, a total of seven other flights will see temporary, minor reactions to services. One of these is the Newcastle Airport to Southampton flight, which will be reduced from 15 to 13 per week.

The airline, under its new leadership team, said that the changes will "help reduce the amount of operational disruption that Loganair’s customers and crews have been experiencing for over 18 months." Bosses say the outcome will see a reduced number of delayed and cancelled flights and less disruption for crews and customers.

A spokesperson for the airport said: “It is disappointing to see Loganair pull routes from various UK airports, including Newcastle. We’d like to thank all of those who have used the route over the years and, as we continue to develop our route offer, we are examining opportunities for alternative airlines to provide this route.

“In the meantime, we have just kicked off our 2024 summer season and – despite this news – we are expecting the biggest and best year since the airport was brought back into public ownership. Our new Dalaman route is proving hugely popular, along with our mainstays of Corfu, Faro and Majorca.

“We are also continuing to deliver on our plan to return the airport to profitability which includes major progress on the development of our £200million southside Business Park, the creation of new hangar space and attracting new companies such as Airbourne Colours and new air freight service from FedEx."

Statement from Loganair CEO

Mr Farajallah said: “Since my first day as CEO of Loganair last month, I have been listening carefully to feedback from our loyal customers and hard-working crew, and I want to personally apologise to everyone who has been impacted by the unacceptable levels of disruption that have been experienced for over 18-months whilst the airline has been undertaking a re-fleeting programme.

“We appreciate the changes we are announcing today may impact some customers whose bookings may need to change. While we apologise to customers affected, this decision is one that has been made for the greater good of the vast majority of customers who must be able to book and fly with confidence, especially from some of the most remote parts of the UK.

“Loganair is the UK’s largest regional airline, and we are getting back to the basic principles that have made us successful for over six decades. We are relentlessly focused on confidently serving our core markets and core customers, who must be able to book with certainty, and experience a stable and resilient flying programme.

"This is especially true for the Highlands and Islands communities who rely on Loganair for being so much more than an airline serving a leisure market. We have been falling short of the service levels expected of us by our loyal customers and amazing crew for over 18 months, and today we are making changes that once fully delivered throughout the summer will help restore the image and reputation we have fought so hard to generate over so many years as the trusted airline partner in our unique market.

“Our entire team and board of Directors is behind us in making these decisions, and we are all excited about the prospect of getting back to our core set of principles in our heartlands – and we intend to defend and grow our presence in these markets through the demonstration that we can and will deliver consistent operational stability and excellence”.

Anyone who may be affected by the Aberdeen route cancellation should contact Loganair directly.

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