Loganair deal brings global link to Scottish islands

Inhabitants of Scotland’s northern and western islands will benefit from cheaper and easier international travel after a deal was struck last week between Loganair and Turkish Airlines.

The Scottish airline’s passengers will be able to buy a single ticket from their home airports – including Stornoway, Benbecula and Fair Isle – through to international destinations via Edinburgh.

Travelling on a single ticket could save air passenger duty charges of as much as £78 per passenger, says the Glasgow Herald.

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A similar agreement already connects Loganair with KLM – but as Turkish Airlines flies to more destinations than any other carrier, the new partnership will broaden the islanders’ options.

“This is a deal with one of the biggest names in international air travel, and we see it as the start of a partnership that will develop into a full codeshare agreement later in the year,” Loganair’s commercial director, Kay Ryan, said.

Gokhan Haciibrahimoglu, general manager of Turkish Airlines Scotland, said the partnership would allow the passengers of both airlines to “easily connect with the regional airports of north and west Scotland to over 304 destinations and 122 countries”.

The deal is part of Loganair’s Better Connected programme, intended to improve links for tourists as well as those who live in the Highlands and islands.

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