‘Positive results’ on Wick/Aberdeen flights raise hopes for long-term sustainability
Changes to the Wick/Aberdeen flight schedule have brought “positive results”, with fewer cancellations and an increase in passenger numbers.
Highland Council this week reported 95 per cent reliability since a revised timetable was introduced in mid-October, raising hopes for the long-term sustainability of the service.
Council leader Raymond Bremner said he was very optimistic and was looking forward to continued improvement on a route that provides “essential connectivity”.
The local authority also pointed to “clear opportunities for existing and future air services” from Wick John O’Groats Airport.
Changes were announced after a catalogue of complaints about the service run by Eastern Airways. It was reported that the airline had racked up an £18,000 taxi bill following a number of grounded flights.
The new agreement includes timetable changes and guaranteed refunds or taxi transfers for cancelled flights.
The flights are subsidised by a public service obligation PSO funded annually by Highland Council (£300,000) and the Scottish Government (£1 million) over three years from April 2022. Funding for the service beyond March 2025 is yet to be finalised.
Measures included reducing flights from twice a day to once a day on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays due to very low demand for the morning midweek service, and earlier departure times on afternoon/evening flights.
It was also agreed there would be no price changes until March 2025.
A council spokesman said that out of 42 scheduled flights, 40 had gone ahead.
“We are monitoring the service to assess the effects of the schedule changes, and can confirm that we are seeing positive results based on the data to date,” the spokesman said.
“Since the new schedule came into effect on October 14, we have seen just one rotation cancelled [one flight in and the corresponding flight out], putting reliability for the period at 95 per cent, and only two with delays of greater than 30 minutes.
“These are strong indicators that the schedule changes are having the positive impacts we expected.
“With regard to passenger numbers, early indications are promising, with October seeing a slight increase on September’s figures – 776 in October versus 751 in September.
“We are confident from our discussions with Eastern Airways that these changes will bring not just the immediate improvements we have seen so far, but will protect the long-term reliability and sustainability of the service.
“We remain absolutely committed to making a go of it and would ask passengers and the wider community to support the service as we deliver these improvements.
“Highland Council is also working with key stakeholders through forums including the Wick John O’Groats Airport Working Group to plan for the long-term future of the airport and air services to and from the region.
“With significant economic investment planned for the north Highlands over the coming decade, we believe there are clear opportunities for existing and future air services from Wick, and we are actively working with partners to develop these opportunities.”
Councillor Bremner represents the Wick and East Caithness ward and chairs the Wick John O’Groats Airport Consultative Committee
He said: “I know that many of us are really keen to ensure that we can maintain the scheduled flights from Wick to Aberdeen given some of the frustration that cancelled and delayed flights were causing in our community.
“It was clear that we had to make changes and I’m very optimistic, given the initial indications showing improvement.
“I know that the performance is being monitored on a weekly basis and look forward to continued improvement and confidence in the service. It provides essential connectivity for the far north.”
The new timetable will operate throughout the winter until March.
Announcing the changes at the start of October, Eastern Airways’ commercial director Roger Hage said: “We are acutely conscious that recent service levels have fallen short of the standards our passengers expect.
“We have listened to passenger feedback and on discussion with partners we have decided to make some changes which we believe will deliver improvements in the Wick/Aberdeen service.”
