Airline for Wick to Aberdeen could be announced next week

Flights between Wick John O'Groats Airport and Aberdeen are subsidised by the Scottish government

Highland Council says it has "high expectations" that a new operator can be secured for a subsidised air service between Wick and Aberdeen.

The flights were operated by Eastern Airways, which entered administration last week after the majority of its 330 staff were made redundant.

Wick-Aberdeen is a public service obligation (PSO) route which receives support from the Scottish government and Highland Council.

The local authority said an emergency tender had gone live, giving prospective operators 72 hours to apply, and an announcement was expected next Thursday.

The initial contract will be for four months.

Council leader Raymond Bremner said: "Since Eastern Airways pulled out of delivering the PSO on the 27 October with no prior notice, the focus of all stakeholders has been very much on getting flights back up in the air as soon as possible.

"The Wick to Aberdeen flights provide crucial connectivity between north Highland and the central belt and our priority is to reinstate the service as quickly as possible, for the benefit of local businesses and the wider community."

He added: "While this need of an emergency tender is a setback, it doesn't affect our commitment to securing the service in the next financial year, and we have already submitted a business case to Transport Scotland."

Loganair said it was "looking at the numbers" involved in operating flights between Wick and Aberdeen

Earlier, Scottish airline Loganair said it was looking into the possibility of taking over the running the route.

Simon McNamara, head of government and corporate affairs at Loganair, told BBC Scotland News the airline was examining the costs involved in taking on the route.

He said companies still had to be able to cover their costs on PSO routes.

"We are looking at the numbers and if it works we will step in, but only step in if there is a positive business case to be done," said Mr McNamara.

"So at this stage I cannot say either way, but we are indeed looking at it."

The Wick-Aberdeen service returned in 2022 after being withdrawn during the Covid pandemic.

Earlier this year the Scottish government provided a £1m subsidy, topped up by a £300,000 contribution from Highland Council, for the Wick to Aberdeen flights.

The Scottish government said it was "saddened" that Eastern Airways had entered administration.

A spokesperson added: "Highland Council is actively working to use emergency procedures within the relevant legislation to resolve the situation at Wick and the Scottish government remains fully engaged in that process.

"The minister for connectivity recently met with the leader of Highland Council to reaffirm our continued support for the council's efforts to re-establish the service as soon as possible and to confirm that our funding commitment for the existing route remains in place."

Who used the flights?

John Barry's dental practice in Thurso has visiting dentists who used the flights

Wick is 104 miles (167km) and about two hours and 25 minutes by road from the nearest city, Inverness.

Caithness' other large town, Thurso, is further away at 111 miles (179km) and two hours 30 minutes from Inverness.

Average train times to Inverness are four hours 24 minutes for Wick and almost four hours for Thurso, according to ScotRail.

Flying from Wick to Aberdeen takes about 40 minutes and had cost about £60 one way, according to ticketing websites.

Dental surgeon John Barry said the flights helped him to bring in dentists from other places to his practice in Thurso.

He said: "I have a dentist from Dublin and she is scunnered because it's taking her a day to get here and a day to get back, and sometimes not getting here until 11 o'clock at night using a train."

Mr Barry added: "The deal with her was she could fly Dublin to Aberdeen and Aberdeen to Wick.

"You can leave home in Dublin and be in Wick within six hours. That's not happening anymore."

Highland Council said there was also "strong demand" for an Aberdeen service, particularly from businesses and the offshore oil and gas industry.

Aberdeen also offers connections to other parts of the UK.

Flights to London, Manchester and Birmingham were popular onward destinations, according to Highland Council.

It said a service to Aberdeen - rather than, say, Edinburgh - was feasible under the limited budget allocated to the PSO.