Loganair celebrates its diamond anniversary
Above:
The airline's story began
1st February 1962.
Courtesy Loganair
The Glasgow-based airline, which was formed on 1st February 1962, now flies over 70 routes throughout the UK, Isle of Man, Ireland, Norway and Denmark and serves more UK airports – a tally of 34 - than every other airline put together.
Above:
Loganair pilot, Captain Aaron Dickson; Chief Commercial Officer at Loganair, Kay Ryan; Captain Geoff Rosenbloom, former Loganair pilot who flew with the airline in the 1970s.
Courtesy Loganair
It marked the anniversary in true birthday style with balloons and cake, commemorative chocolates for customers on every flight and a special 60th anniversary offer for its growing band of loyal Clan Loganair frequent flyers.
To celebrate the special birthday, Loganair has launched a competition to give away a diamond ticket, consisting of 60 free flights across its network, to one lucky winner. The airline is asking people to enter the competition by nominating an individual or group – perhaps a sporting team, a youth group, a Gaelic choir - most deserving of this unusual yet hugely valuable gift.
The special day heralds a very significant expansion of Loganair’s partnership with British Airways, building on a relationship which has spanned four decades. Eighteen more Loganair routes are being added to its codeshare agreement with British Airways, providing greater choice and connectivity for customers travelling to, from and within the UK regions.
The airline has also announced the winner of its competition for a commemorative soundtrack to mark its 60 years of service. Earlier this year, a competition was launched to find the perfect soundtrack to accompany a video montage encapsulating the true spirit of Loganair’s 60 years of service. Amidst many hugely talented entries, Greenock-based computing lecturer Davy Nicol’s acoustic number ‘Fly with Me’ wowed the selection panel.
Above:
Water cannons at Dundee Airport to celebrate Loganair’s 60th birthday where the first flight took off in 1963.
Courtesy Loganair
Jonathan Hinkles, Loganair’s Chief Executive, said: “We are thrilled to be celebrating our 60th anniversary, an unrivalled milestone in the UK regional airline industry. In the time that Loganair has been serving customers in Scotland and beyond, over 50 other airlines have come and gone – yet a constant has been the commitment of Loganair to keeping communities connected.
“Today’s milestone could never have been reached without the efforts and dedication of Scott Grier, Loganair’s President and the driving force of the airline between 1976 and 2012; Loganair’s dedicated team of staff throughout the last six decades; and the unwavering commitment of our owners, Stephen and Peter Bond, who have now been involved with the airline for over 20 years.
“We’re delighted to announce a major expansion of our partnership with British Airways, effectively doubling the number of routes on which we cooperate to bring benefits for customers. The development cements what we believe to be the longest-running relationship between two UK airlines and it’s a partnership which will continue to deliver for customers throughout the UK.
“The next 60 years will undoubtedly see a different set of challenges, yet I’m already hugely encouraged by progress to develop new carbon-neutral electrical and hydrogen power sources for domestic flights. It’s clear that short-haul domestic flights will be the first to benefit from these new technologies and I fully expect that we’ll see the first of these powering Loganair customers to the destination within the first six of our next 60 years."
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon commented: “For six decades now, Loganair, the oldest name in UK airlines, has made an exceptional contribution to the Scottish economy. Since 1962, the airline has helped keep the country moving, ensuring that people across Scotland are connected – particularly those living in and visiting our most remote communities. The importance of that has never been clearer than during the pandemic as the airline continued to operate, transporting patients, tests and equipment across Scotland and beyond.”
“Loganair’s leadership in the net zero transition is also hugely appreciated and it should help ensure a very bright future for Scotland’s airline.”
Loganair today operates 43 aircraft – ranging in size from the eight-seat Britten-Norman Islanders used on its Orkney inter-isles air services to 72-seat state-of-the-art ATR72-600 turboprops deployed on major UK domestic routes from airports including Aberdeen, Belfast City, Manchester and Newquay. It employs 830 staff, the vast majority of whom live and work in Scotland.
The 18 new partnership routes announced under the expansion of the British Airways and Loganair relationship are:
- Aberdeen to Belfast City, Birmingham, Bristol, Manchester and Southampton
- City of Derry to London and Liverpool
- Cornwall Airport Newquay to Manchester
- Exeter to Edinburgh, Glasgow and Newcastle
- Isle of Man to Birmingham, Edinburgh and Manchester
- Inverness to Birmingham
- Norwich to Aberdeen and Edinburgh
- Teesside to Southampton
In addition to its scheduled service operations – which will see more than 1,200 flights each week link more UK airports than any other airline in Summer 2022 – Loganair also provides contract services for the oil & gas industry, sports teams and a variety of other customers. It is one of two airlines providing domestic air services for Royal Mail, operating to the Scottish islands by day and linking to Royal Mail’s national network by night at Edinburgh and East Midlands.
The airline launched its GreenSkies environmental programme in June 2021, which includes carbon offsets for every Loganair flight. It is actively involved in projects to develop hydrogen and electrical propulsion systems for its aircraft in conjunction with aeronautical technology institutions and companies such as Cranfield Aerospace Solutions, ZeroAvia and Ampaire.
To enter Loganair’s 60th anniversary competition, please visit: www.loganair.co.uk/campaign/anniversary-competition
To look back on 60 years of Loganair and to hear the winning song by Greenock musician Davy Nicol, please visit : www.loganair.co.uk
