Find more funding
There are many other organisations who may be offering funding that will help you, and our handy funding search tool brings them all together.
Inverness flight frequencies to be restored after £1m funding boost
Scottish Government funding will restore Inverness flights to Stornoway, Kirkwall and Sumburgh from October, improving island connectivity.
Flights linking Inverness with the Western and Northern Isles are set to return to their previous frequency from 26 October after the Scottish Government confirmed more than £1 million in funding to support the routes.
The funding, awarded to Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd (HIAL), will reinstate services between Inverness and Stornoway, Kirkwall and Sumburgh, restoring connections that Loganair reduced earlier this year because of concerns over the long-term sustainability of the routes.
Announcing the package, Economy, Tourism and Transport Secretary Stephen Flynn said:
“I am pleased the Scottish Government has confirmed over £1 million of funding to support the full recommencement of air services connecting Inverness to Stornoway, Kirkwall and Sumburgh.
“HIAL and Loganair have worked collaboratively through commercial discussions to restart these services from 26 October, providing greater certainty to passengers.”
He said Transport Scotland would continue discussions with industry partners on “a sustainable, long-term solution to protect Highlands and Islands air services for those who rely on them”
The Scottish Government said the restored services would support island residents travelling to the mainland for healthcare, public services and business, as well as strengthening regional connectivity.
HIAL chief executive Paul Kelsall welcomed the announcement, describing it as:
“a positive step for passengers and for the wider connectivity of the Highlands and Islands”.
He added:
“As has been the case throughout this process, we are committed to finding a lasting solution which benefits the passengers who use our airports.”
Loganair chief executive Luke Farajallah highlighted how important the routes remained to island communities:
“These routes matter enormously to the people who rely on them, and we’ve never lost sight of that throughout this process.”
Mr Farajallah added:
“We’re a privately owned airline, and keeping thin routes like these flying isn’t something we can always do alone, so we’re genuinely pleased that the Scottish Government has stepped in to make full services possible again from October.”
He said the airline would continue working with HIAL and Transport Scotland to place the routes “onto a footing that lasts”.
