Orcadian column, 28 October 2025

Let’s start with the positives. 18 months ago, scarcely a week passed without some part of the Loganair service being subject to disruption. Regular delays or cancellations were the result of ageing aircraft being stretched thinly across an extensive network and chronic staff turnover. My mailbag overflowed with complaints from constituents whose businesses were impacted, holidays ruined and, worst of all, hospital appointments missed.

With newer ATR aircraft, cuts to routes further south and greater staff retention over the past year, Loganair is undoubtedly in better shape. Problems still occur, of course, but the service is considerably more reliable these days.

Yet over the past fortnight, I’ve found myself firing off angry emails to Loganair’s management as if it were 2024. In each instance, this has been prompted by an approach to customer care that has been seriously lacking.

First came the aftermath of a sickening injury to one of Orkney’s rugby players during a match in Prestonpans. After a lengthy wait for an ambulance, something I’m following up with Scottish Ambulance Service, Marcus finally made it to hospital where his leg was put in plaster.

On turning up at Edinburgh airport the following day, however, access to the plane was denied by Loganair staff due to the full leg cast. Consequently, Marcus and a teammate were forced to take a taxi all the way to Thurso at eye-watering expense, spend a night in a hotel before catching the ferry the next morning. A hat tip here to Orkney Rugby Club and the Scottish Rugby Union for stepping up to the plate.

I’m waiting to hear back from Loganair, but I’ll need some persuading that a young, fit guy with a full leg cast presents more of safety risk onboard a flight than others with significant mobility issues who routinely and rightly are permitted to use the service.

Roll forward a week and strong winds are playing havoc with flight schedules. One flight from Edinburgh circled the Orkney mainland a couple of times before admitting defeat to the weather and returning to the capital. So far, so understandable. Islanders get the risks of weather-related travel disruption. What they won’t and should not have to tolerate is poor customer service.

Sadly, that is what was delivered by staff at Menzies who operate Loganair’s ground handling at Edinburgh airport. The Edinburgh passengers were later joined by others originally scheduled to fly from Aberdeen, including a number of patients recently discharged from hospital.

Instead of being kept informed, comfortable and fed, over a prolonged period passengers were treated with rudeness, denied food vouchers and kept in the dark about what was happening. Eventually they were put in taxis north to catch flights from Inverness and Aberdeen.

The reported behaviour of Menzies staff is shocking and contrasts with the experience of passengers at Aberdeen. It does though remind me of a flight I was on

from Edinburgh earlier this month which was delayed by 45 minutes when Menzies staff downed tools in a blaze of expletives while loading baggage. As ever, the Loganair crew did their best to reassure passengers, but it suggests there are wider issues, not least the low priority given to ‘smaller’ airlines at Edinburgh airport.

Despite Menzies’ shortcomings, Loganair has taken responsibility for last weekend’s debacle and apologised. I met with senior representatives on Monday when I made clear the need for Loganair to contact passengers directly to apologise, outline steps being taken to address these problems and extend an offer to make appropriate amends.

I also reinforced the need for a Loganair representative to be based in each of the Scottish mainland airports, able to liaise with passengers, ground handlers and other partners while escalating matters within Loganair when necessary. This may have ensured additional flights were put on rather than hiring taxis and unsuccessful ferry bookings.

Along with the high cost of fares and proposed timetable changes next year that work against islanders’ interests, Loganair is still prone to missteps. Their crews and staff at Kirkwall airport cannot be faulted, and overall reliability is much improved, but this is a lifeline service that hasn’t felt like a lifeline for too many customers in recent weeks.