Loganair launches final stage of fleet renewal

Scottish airline Loganair is set to complete the renewal of its aircraft fleet next year, after signing a series of multi-million pound deals.

The company has ordered eight new ATR turboprops, replacing its remaining eight Saab 340B passenger aircraft.

The Saab aircraft will be phased out by next July, joining unspecified new operators in North America following a $12m (£10.7m) deal.

Loganair currently operates 42 aircraft across 70 routes in its network.

It already has 15 of the ATR "next-generation" turboprops in service.

In a statement, the airline said the new ATR turboprops would bring a substantial reduction in carbon emissions per seat compared with the Saab 340 aircraft, which operate on Loganair's Highland and Island routes.

The completed ATR fleet will have an average age of eight years and provide more passenger seats on each flight, in addition to more cargo and mail hold space for its charter services.

Loganair chief executive Jonathan Hinkles said: "The Saab 340s have served us, and our customers, superbly well over the last two decades but it's time for us to transition to a new generation of aircraft.

"Our multi-million-pound investment in ATR aircraft will safeguard connectivity for future generations within the Highlands and Islands air network, on which so many communities depend."

Last month Loganair announced that advisers had been appointed to find a buyer for the Glasgow-based business.

It is being sold with the hope of new owners taking over the business by mid-2023.