Manx government subsidises new London flights to help businesses

Loganair will reintroduce its flights between Ronaldsway and London in the spring

New flights between the Isle of Man and London will be subsidised in response to "the wants of the business sector", the enterprise minister has said.

Loganair will reintroduce daily flights from Ronaldsway Airport to London City next month and to Heathrow in May.

Alex Allinson confirmed the routes would be underwritten by the government until October.

He said a commercial agreement was needed to get journey times that allow day trips for business to take place.

Loganair will first operate a daily flight to London City from 19 April before expanding to two journeys each weekday from 3 May.

Services to London Heathrow will also commence from that date.

'Use it or lose it'

The airline, which has 30 staff based on the island, scrapped flights to Heathrow in July after government subsidies for the route were pulled.

Currently, the island's only air route to London is provided by Easyjet flights to Gatwick.

Speaking to a Tynwald scrutiny committee, Dr Allinson confirmed the new journeys would be underwritten and said it was a "question of use it or lose it" as to whether they would continue beyond the initial six-month period.

"We are talking about a 72-seater plane, so if we get 50 people on each of the planes, it will be at no cost to the Manx taxpayer," he said, adding the move was part of a new overall air strategy in development across the government.

The move has been welcomed by the island's Chamber of Commerce, which said the business community "relies on the accessibility of day return business travel to carry out essential work in the UK".

Chief executive Rebecca George said the flights would also allow "key contacts" to travel to the island and enable "stronger business links".