Loganair flights to and from the Scotland's Northern Isles will be replaced by FlyBe flights from October this year, it was announced last week. The move will deliver more UK and European flight connections to Scottish air passengers.

The deal creates a unique and exciting new franchise arrangement between two of Scotland’s best known airlines and offers passengers of both companies an expanded route network and greater connections.

The agreement launches on 26th October, the day after Loganair’s current franchise deal with British Airways concludes. Tickets for travel after this date will be on sale through flybe.com from June.

Loganair’s chairman Scott Grier said: “This is an exciting time for everyone at Loganair and a significant step for the company. The move to become a franchise partner with Flybe provides a certain future for the company.

“The air service networks of both airlines are complementary and this deal will give our customers a greater choice of UK and European connections.”

Flybe’s chairman and chief executive, Jim French added: “This landmark agreement is an exciting development in the evolution of the low cost model and one which Flybe sees as a valid strategic option for the future.

“It represents a win-win situation for both airlines. For Flybe, we’ll see our presence in the key Scottish market greatly enhanced and we’ll benefit from increased passenger traffic. For Loganair, the alliance is a major opportunity to bring the recognised brand of Europe’s largest regional airline and the benefits of the low cost model to hundreds of thousands of passengers.”

The Air Discount Scheme, which gives residents of Orkney, Shetland, the Western Isles, Islay, Jura, Caithness and North West Sutherland a 40% discount on the price of core fares, remains unaffected by this announcement.