Flybe starts Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Inverness to London flights

The new routes have been dubbed the "Spirit of the Regions"

New daily Flybe services connecting Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Inverness with London City Airport have begun.

The airline said it would offer up to four flights from Edinburgh and up to two from both Aberdeen and Inverness.

Flybe operated a service between Inverness and Gatwick Airport before selling the slots to Easyjet in a £20m deal last year.

The airline expects the new Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Inverness routes to appeal to business travellers.

First Minister Alex Salmond was at a ceremony held to mark the start of the routes, which Flybe has called the "Spirit of the Regions".

He said: "This is an exciting morning for Scottish aviation with new routes linking Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Inverness with the heart of London taking off for the first time.

"We have long stressed the economic benefits of improving Scotland's connectivity, so these services will be no doubt be welcomed by companies in the central belt, the north east and the Highlands who are looking to do business in London and further afield."