Airline is committed to Highlands and London link
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Air links connecting the Highlands and London are there for the foreseeable future – and as long as people keep using them, they will continue.
That is the commitment voiced by Ali Gayward, head of Scotland at easyJet, which operates routes from Inverness to Gatwick and Luton.
The assurance comes after Flybe announced it would suspend its flights linking Inverness and London City from 22nd February – due to lower than expected passenger numbers – just a few months after the link was launched in October last year.
Miss Gayward said: "We are not planning to make any changes. We have seen tremendous support on our Luton and Gatwick services. We added the early morning flight to Gatwick almost a year ago based on what the people of the Highlands asked us to do and that has been performing well, so we are really committed to these flights.
"People want these flights and we are delighted we can provide them for them. They are there for the foreseeable future and as long as people keep on supporting it then we want to keep on operating it."
Miss Gayward made a direct appeal to the north’s business community prior to easyJet’s launch of early morning and evening flights connecting the Highland capital with Gatwick in March last year. The weekday services – previously operated by Flybe – are widely viewed as vital to the north economy due to the lack of any other high-speed link connecting the cities.
In 2013, Flybe sold its 25 pairs of runway slots at Gatwick to easyJet for £20 million. It prompted business leaders, politicians and the wider community to unify efforts to keep the north connected to London, with campaigns showing easyJet there was an appetite for the early morning and evening flights to be retained.
The landing and departure times at Gatwick could have been used by easyJet – which already operated flights linking Inverness to Gatwick and Luton – for other flights. But easyJet moved swiftly to end any uncertainty when it announced plans to enhance connections between Inverness and London as part of a new five-year deal.
"We have been really impressed with the way people have taken to the Gatwick services," Miss Gayward said. "We plan to keep those services operating because they meet the needs of travellers based in the Highlands – travellers who are being true to their word and supporting us on this."
Miss Gayward thought it would be inappropriate for her to comment on Flybe’s announced suspension of the Inverness/London City route.
But she recognised the importance of air links connecting the north and London.
"We’re set to be the only airline to provide flights linking the Highlands and London so we would expect demand for our services to increase, therefore strengthening performance on the route," she added. "We know the Inverness/London links are lifelines and are viewed widely as critical routes – and we understand that."
Tickets for flights until 24th October connecting Inverness to Gatwick and Luton are on sale and more flights after this date are expected to go on sale in spring.
Stewart Nicol, chief executive of Inverness Chamber of Commerce, described easyJet’s commitment as excellent news.
He said: "This is particularly welcome given recent developments relating to Inverness’s air connections with London.
"Good transport connectivity within the UK and beyond is vital for the ongoing development of the city of Inverness and the whole of the Highland region. As there are only a few direct transport links between Inverness and London, it is important for the Highland business community that these routes remain secure."
A spokesman for Highlands and Islands Airports (HIAL), which operates Inverness Airport, said: "The loss of London City flights is obviously disappointing but Inverness remains well connected to London with regular flights to Gatwick and Luton, both of which offer a wide range of international connections, with Gatwick in particular providing strong long-haul connectivity.
"The issue of regional air links into London is of critical importance and will come to a head this year with the publication of the Airports Commission report. HIAL is currently considering its final response to the commission."
A second runway at Gatwick is among the options shortlisted by the Airports Commission that is set to report its assessment of additional UK airport capacity to the UK Government this summer.
Flybe’s announcement came after it increased its presence at Inverness with the launch of new Dublin flights, a third daily flight link with Manchester and new winter flights to Geneva. Flybe also announced it would increase services linking London City and Edinburgh and Belfast City airports.
