Loganair has announced its intention to move the Public Service Obligation (PSO) air services linking City of Derry and Dundee Airports and London into Heathrow with effect from 6 May 2023. The airline has recently gained additional access to slots at Heathrow, and subject to Government approval, will move its Dundee service from the current London terminus of City and its City of Derry service from the current London terminus of Stansted into Heathrow’s Terminal Two from Saturday 6 May.   This will offer continued excellent access to central London – where the new Elizabeth Line now connects the nation’s premier airport to key City destinations.

Just as importantly, the move to London Heathrow opens up a tremendous range of new connections for both regions – firmly establishing their place on the worldwide map of air routes.  Customers will be able to book single-ticket, assured connections to and from City of Derry via London Heathrow to 119 destinations in 56 countries, and from Dundee via London Heathrow to 97 destinations in 45 countries.

Destinations across Europe, Middle East, North and South America, Africa, Asia and Australasia ranging from Singapore and Hong Kong through to Buenos Aires and Budapest will all be available from the UK regional airports through Loganair’s growing range of airline partnerships, including with British Airways, the largest airline at Heathrow.

Same-plane services from Kirkwall Airport in the Orkney Islands and Sumburgh Airport in the Shetland Islands via Dundee to London will also move to Heathrow, completing the quartet of new destinations and marking the largest single expansion of regional, domestic air connectivity at Heathrow in a generation.

“The move to Heathrow truly is a gamechanger for UK regional air services,” says Loganair Chief Executive Jonathan Hinkles.  “Alongside excellent ground transport links into central London, the new range of global flight connections will bring new inward investment opportunities and tourism into the UK’s regions, together with enabling travellers to use their local airport to fly worldwide for the first time.”

Steve Frazer, Managing Director at City of Derry Airport said: “This proposed switch to London Heathrow from City of Derry Airport is an exciting time for the airport. Not only will this provide direct connectivity to London’s premier airport, it also creates a ‘Gateway to the World’ via one of the world’s best international hubs.  “This will be a significant step for economic and strategic growth across the Northwest, all from your convenient local airport.”

Heathrow Chief Commercial Officer Ross Baker said: “Welcoming further Loganair services to Heathrow is exciting, with UK passengers and businesses set to benefit from hundreds of onward connections around the world. Our domestic charging discounts will continue to support further growth in our domestic network – which is vital to strengthen our role as the UK’s hub airport, helping to level-up investment across the country, while connecting more people and businesses to global growth.”

The moves to Heathrow will open up more seats – with additional flights to and from City of Derry and more seats available on existing flights to and from Dundee.   More efficient air traffic routings into Heathrow will cut flight times and carbon emissions.   All flights will continue to be operated by Loganair’s locally-based crews in City of Derry and Dundee, using Embraer 145 Regional Jet and ATR42 aircraft respectively.

All Loganair flights are covered by the GreenSkies programme with carbon emissions fully offset through certified international schemes to remove an amount of carbon from the atmosphere equivalent to that generated by each flight.