Loganair and Blue Islands, the Channel-Islands based airline, have formed a partnership to offer their customers a broad new range of regional air connections across the UK, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.
The airlines will provide seamless connections between their flights, enabling customers to buy a single ticket to benefit from lower fares and guaranteed connections on a wide range of links between Scotland, the North East and the Isle of Man to the south coast and the Channel Islands.
The new links will be available to book via the respective airlines’ websites and will re-build connectivity to help boost the UK and Channel Islands’ economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. Frequent connections with a focus on links via hubs at Southampton and Manchester will link points such as Inverness with Exeter; the Isle of Man with Southampton; and Guernsey and Jersey with Edinburgh, Glasgow and Newcastle.
This announcement follows Blue Islands’ announcement last month of a long-term ‘base carrier’ partnership with the Ports of Jersey. Blue Islands will focus its operations in Jersey, taking on many of the former Flybe routes, safeguarding vital regional connectivity into the UK. The agreement was enabled by the provision of a commercial loan facility of up to £10 million from the Government of Jersey.
Loganair operates 43 aircraft, predominantly on routes to, from and within Scotland, and is the UK’s largest regional airline. Blue Islands operates five aircraft and is now expanding its network from its traditional Channel Island bases, adding two UK bases with new services including Manchester to Exeter and Manchester to Southampton following the failure of Flybe in early March, just before the Covid-19 pandemic.
The ability to book journeys in a single ticket through either airline’s website will enable customers to save the double Air Passenger Duty which would apply if tickets for the flights were purchased separately, as well as offering guaranteed connections in the event of weather or other disruptions to their travel plans. Together with new routes, fare options and a generous frequent flyer programme, Blue Islands has also recently completed its move to the same Videcom booking system as that successfully used by Loganair. This provides certainty of systems connectivity to assure a seamless transfer between flights for customers and their checked baggage.
Commenting on the new partnership, Loganair’s Chief Executive Jonathan Hinkles said: “We’re delighted to be working with Blue Islands to offer this new range of connections for customers throughout the UK. Providing dependable air services to communities throughout the UK, the Channel Islands and Isle of Man is a core part of the ‘DNA’ of both airlines, and by joining up our networks, we can help many more customers reach their destination”.
Blue Islands’ Chief Executive Rob Veron said: “We are excited to form this new partnership with Loganair, hand in hand with a significant expansion of our own route network after 15 years of Channel Islands’ centred operations. It further enhances Blue Islands’ commitment to deliver robust and reliable regional air connectivity. We are delighted to be able to offer customers an extended route network with the peace of mind of guaranteed connections, Air Passenger Duty savings and the easy convenience of checked-through hold luggage in a single ticket.
“Whether flying for business, leisure or visiting friends and family, this partnership once again boosts regional connectivity for the communities we serve in the Channel Islands and the UK using our Manchester and Southampton hubs to connect to destinations on the Loganair route network. Furthermore, it will provide vital support for our visitor economies, particularly in the Channel Islands as we can welcome Loganair customers from Scotland and the north east onto our services to Guernsey and Jersey”.
Flights will soon be available to book via loganair.co.uk and blueislands.com. Connections provided through this arrangement will include:
- Flights with Blue Islands from Exeter and Southampton to Manchester meeting Loganair flights at Manchester to Aberdeen, Inverness and Isle of Man;
- Flights with Loganair from Edinburgh, Glasgow and Newcastle to Southampton meeting Blue Islands flights to Guernsey and Jersey;
- Blue Islands flights from Jersey to Birmingham and Bristol meeting Loganair flights from those airports to Aberdeen.
