Loganair flight cancelled after damaged propeller spotted

Loganair has found itself under continued scrutiny after damage was found on a propeller on one of its aircraft while at an isles airport, with the plane then taken out of service for repairs.

This latest in a long running saga of incidents – which have led to increased delays and cancellations of services –  occurred in the Western Isles yesterday morning, Wednesday.

A Loganair spokesman said last night: “The pilot noticed there was slight damage to a propeller blade during the pre-flight inspection of the aircraft scheduled to operate the Stornoway to Glasgow service.

“A replacement aircraft was flown in to take the 24 passengers on to Glasgow and the aircraft is currently being repaired by our engineers.

“We would like to apologise to our passengers for the inconvenience today and reassure them their safety and that of our crew is always the first priority,  as shown by the fact the aircraft was removed from service when the fault was found.”

Highlands and Islands MSP, David Stewart, Scottish Labour’s Transport Spokesperson, has said he is extremely concerned to hear about the incident.

The fault was discovered just days after pilots union BALPA raised concerns about the safety of the airline’s planes.

Commenting yesterday Mr Stewart said “I am extremely concerned to hear of this incident today which follows the concerns raised last week by the BALPA union.

“It is totally unacceptable that aircraft used on lifeline services are not up to scratch. The safety of passengers is paramount and the company and the Scottish Government need to address this as a matter of utmost urgency. I have been working this week with other MSPs in asking for an urgent meeting with the Transport Minister to discuss these safety issues.”

Mr Stewart continued: “Islanders are charged excessive amounts to use these lifeline services which are often subject to delay or cancellation but today’s safety incident is simply not acceptable and I will be contacting the Transport Minister again, and the company directly, to ensure action is taken to address these issues without delay.”