Staffing issues to cause flight disruption
Loganair has confirmed, this morning, Thursday, that Kirkwall Airport will be affected by early closures, later this week.
The company says it has been notified by airport operators Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd (HIAL) that an unforeseen and exceptional staffing issue will lead to the early closure of Kirkwall Airport on Friday, July 5 and Saturday, July 6. The airport will close approximately two hours earlier than usual on each date, affecting Loganair services planned to operate at those times.
“We sincerely regret the inconvenience that this will cause to our customers,” a spokesman from Loganair said.
“Although we’ve worked hard to come up with alternative contingency plans by re-routing aircraft and crews to minimise disruption, some flight cancellations have proven to be unavoidable.”
The following changes are being made to schedule:
Friday 5 July
Flight LM 399 from Edinburgh to Kirkwall is cancelled.
Flight LM 394 from Kirkwall to Edinburgh is cancelled.
Flight LM 139 from Inverness to Sumburgh via Kirkwall will route directly from Inverness to Sumburgh and will not stop at Kirkwall.
Flight LM 038 from Aberdeen to Kirkwall will now depart at 16:00 hrs arriving at 16:50 hrs, 2h35 later than originally scheduled.
Flights LM 707 and LM 708 between Kirkwall and North Ronaldsay are also cancelled.
Saturday 6 July
Flight LM 433 from Kirkwall to Glasgow will now depart at 12:00 hours arriving Glasgow at 13:10 hrs, 2h00 later than originally scheduled
Flight LM 435 from Kirkwall to Glasgow will now depart at 14:00 hrs arriving Glasgow at 15:10 hrs, 1h45 earlier than originally scheduled
Flight LM 277 from Kirkwall to Bergen will now depart at 10:00 hrs arriving Bergen at 12:20 hrs, 1h50 earlier than originally scheduled
Flight LM 278 from Bergen to Kirkwall will now depart at 13:00 hrs arriving Kirkwall at 13:20 hrs, 1h50 earlier than originally scheduled
If you are booked to travel on a flight which is now cancelled or re-routed, the company says you will be notified of the changes by text and e-mail. You can rebook to travel on any Loganair service to their destination or a nearby alternative (such as Glasgow instead of Edinburgh) either via the “Manage my Booking” capability at www.loganair.co.uk or by calling Loganair’s Customer Contact Centre on 0333 800 2855.
If your flight time has changed, Loganair says it will notify you of the new timings by text and e-mail to the contacts details provided to us when your booking was made. If the revised schedules are unsuitable for your wider travel plans, you can contact the airline on 0333 800 2855 and staff will work with you to try to find a suitable alternative.
“We expect all other services to and from Kirkwall on Friday, July 5 and Saturday, July 6 to take place as scheduled,” the spokesman added.
 “However, as there is always a possibility of further unforeseen circumstances creating disruption, we’d like to ask you to take a few moments to ensure that your contact details are correctly shown in your booking (via www.loganair.co.uk and “Manage my Booking”) to ensure that we can get in touch with you directly and quickly should the need arise.
“If you are affected by these changes, Loganair sincerely regrets this disruption to your journey. The situation is entirely beyond our control and all we can do is to say thank you in anticipation of your patience and understanding.”