Loganair and Blue Islands to offer Scotland and Channel Islands link

Loganair will share the connections with Blue Islands airline

Scottish airline Loganair will partially operate routes between Jersey and Scotland as part of a new deal.

The partnership with Channel Islands-based airline Blue Islands will allow passengers to buy a single ticket for connecting flights.

Travellers will be able to transfer from one airline to another at hubs including Southampton and Manchester.

Blue Islands said the deal would help "boost" the UK and Channel Islands' economic recovery from coronavirus.

The agreement will connect locations including Inverness, Exeter, the Isle of Man, Southampton, Guernsey, Jersey, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Newcastle.

Passengers flying with Blue Islands from Jersey, Exeter, or Southampton will also be able to meet a connecting Loganair flight to Aberdeen.

Blue Islands recently revealed a new livery as part of a re-brand

The Channel Islands airline said the ability to travel on one ticket would allow passengers to save the double air passenger duty which would apply if tickets for the flights were purchased separately.

The through-fare would also provide customers with "guaranteed connections", the airline added.

'Vital support'

Last week Blue Islands announced it would move its base from Guernsey to Jersey following a £10m loan from Jersey's government.

Blue Islands' chief executive Rob Veron said he was "excited" by the partnership with Loganair, which would provide "vital support for our visitor economies, particularly in the Channel Islands".

Jersey reopened its borders to all travellers on 3 July, while Guernsey's remain closed due to the pandemic.

Travellers from the Channel Islands are exempt from UK quarantine rules as part of the Common Travel Area.

Loganair's chief executive Jonathan Hinkles said: "Providing dependable air services to communities throughout the UK, the Channel Islands and Isle of Man is a core part of the 'DNA' of both airlines, and by joining up our networks, we can help many more customers reach their destination."

Blue Islands said the new links would "soon be available" for customers to book online.

Direct flights from Jersey to Glasgow and Edinburgh by airline EasyJet are expected to resume from August and September respectively.