McArthur meets new Loganair boss to discuss reliability concerns

Orkney MSP Liam McArthur has described a meeting Loganair’s new managing director, Jonathan Hinkles, as productive and encouraging.

Top of the agenda for the meeting was again the reliability of the airline’s services, as well as the steps being taken to improve communications with passengers.

Mr McArthur said: “It was a productive discussion and I welcome his recognition that there is a way to go before public confidence in the reliability of these air services can be restored.

“While there do appear to have been encouraging signs over recent weeks, I am clear that we need to see these improvements extended and sustained. There can be absolutely no question of a return to the chaotic scenes we saw earlier this year and last.”

He added: “I believe there is also scope to develop the engineering capacity at Kirkwall and even the number of flight crew based in the islands. Mr Hinkles appeared open to this idea, which is welcome news in the longer term.

“No doubt members of the Air Services Key Users Group will want to cover these issues in more detail with Mr Hinkles and colleagues when we meet next month.”