Wick-Aberdeen flight reliability must improve to bring back confidence in service, group told

The “use it or lose it” warning about the Wick-Aberdeen air service is being blurred by recurrent gremlins in its operation.

For its long-term future to be secured, Eastern Airways needs to improve its reliability, according to former Thurso Community Council chairwoman Thelma Mackenzie.

She was speaking in the wake of the cancellation of last Monday morning’s scheduled flight south. It is understood there have been further cancellations since then.

It was the latest disruption to the service, which has just been underwritten by a further £1.3 million public subsidy to continue for a further year.

The renewal of the Public Service Obligation was warmly welcomed at Dounreay Stakeholder Group’s latest quarterly meeting on Wednesday evening.

Chairman, local Highland councillor Struan Mackie, warmly welcomed the extension, funded by £1 million from the Scottish Government and £300,000 from the council.

He said: “Across the political spectrum, we’re all in the same boat and rowing in the same direction on this.”

Councillor Mackie said the service’s future will be determined by its uptake. “It’s use it or lose it,” he said.

Council convener Raymond Bremner, who chairs Wick John O’Groats Airport Consultative Council, said a lot of behind-the-scenes work went into securing the package.

He said: “This included a meeting with the Secretary of State for Scotland (Ian Murray). These conversations take place behind closed doors but give us the opportunity to promote the interests of the far north of Scotland and bring them to the attention of the country’s leaders.”

While also welcoming the PSO extension, Mrs Mackenzie said the reliability of the service needs to be urgently addressed.

She said the “use it or lose it” message is cold comfort for passengers who have been hit by long delays or cancellations.

Last Monday’s pulling of the morning flight from Wick brought a fresh batch of complaints from unhappy would-be travellers.

Mrs Mackenzie said: “Struan says ‘use it or lose it’ but there are too many people who have wanted to use it but who are left not knowing if it is going to go or not.”

The service launched in April 2022, operating twice daily flights but a number were withdrawn in October last year.

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Caithness Chamber of Commerce played a leading role in getting a scheduled service reinstated at Wick.

Addressing the reliability issues, chief executive Trudy Morris said: “I’m as frustrated as anybody with the performance of the operation at times.”

She said that like many airlines, Eastern has struggled since Covid with staff shortages, rising costs and ageing aircraft.

Ms Morris said that Highland Council, which awarded the contract, can impose penalties for failure to provide the prescribed service.

She added that the chamber and the other agencies are working with Eastern to help resolve the problems.

Councillor Bremner said he too shared the frustration about the delayed and cancelled flights.

He said Eastern can have “a pecking order” of airports and sometimes prioritise others over the Wick route.

Councillor Bremner said it had run into the “perfect storm” when it was negotiating to extend the PSO contract.

“Eastern then changed their flight schedules with virtually no notice just when we were trying to convince the government to keep the service going.”

While accepting the reliability of the link needs to be improved, he added: “If we didn’t manage to secure funding, we wouldn’t have a PSO and all bets would be off.”

Eastern Airways has been approached for comment.

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