Alongside flag carrier British Airways, and its various low-cost and leisure operators, the UK is kept connected by regional airlines. These smaller carriers provide links for less well-served parts of the country, both between one another and to larger population centers. One such company is Glasgow-based Loganair, which proudly markets itself as ‘Scotland’s airline.’
The early years
While a relatively small carrier, Loganair has been part of the furniture in the UK airline industry for nearly six decades. It came into existence in February 1962, when the Logan Construction Company established an air charter arm in Edinburgh, Scotland’s capital. It began as a small operation, flying a Piper PA-23 Aztec, a design that had just four to six seats.
Loganair plays a vital role today in linking Scottish islands to the mainland. Its island services began in 1967, after it acquired three eight-seat Britten-Norman Islanders to serve the Orkneys. Services to the Shetlands commenced three years later. The 1960s also saw a relocation of its head office, from Renfrew Airport to Glasgow Airport.
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Loganair also spent a 15-year period under the ownership of the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS). This fostered strong growth between 1968 and 1983, with several new types of aircraft coming onboard. These included the Short 360, Fokker F27 ‘Friendship,’ and even jet-powered aircraft in the form of a pair of British Aerospace 146s regional quadjets.
A British Airways and Flybe franchisee
Loganair has spent periods of its history as a franchisee of other UK carriers. For example, 1993 saw the airline become a franchisee of British Airways. This agreement…