A Scottish airline is preparing to slash flights to three destinations next month owing to mounting financial pressures.
Loganair operates flights to and from locations across the UK and France, including London, Glasgow, Paris and Edinburgh.
However, the carrier has announced it is unable to maintain all existing routes “without impacting the wider business”.
View 2 ImagesLoganair chief executive Luke Farajallah (Image: Steve Welsh)
From July 19, Loganair will scale back flights between Inverness and Stornoway, Orkney, and Shetland.
Daily services currently operate from Inverness to Orkney (Kirkwall) and Shetland (Sumburgh), with a regular route also serving Stornoway.
Following the reductions, however, flights between these destinations will only run at weekends.
Loganair chief executive Luke Farajallah told the BBC: “We do not take these decisions lightly.”
He went on to say: “The recent increase in fuel prices, together with escalations in aircraft repair costs, airport fees and route charges, mean that Loganair, Hial and Transport Scotland must find a way to sustain lifeline routes where passenger numbers are limited.
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“These routes matter to us and to the communities they serve, but we must balance that commitment with the long-term sustainability of Loganair and the wider network those communities also rely on.”
Mr Farajallah indicated that full services could potentially resume in October should additional funding be secured.
Hial, which is owned by the Scottish Government, has put forward a support package, though it cautioned that any assistance must remain affordable.