Loganair, Scotland's largest regional carrier, has spent 2026 both expanding into fresh markets and quietly reining in parts of its Highland timetable. Here is what the airline has actually announced this year, verified against its own newsroom and reputable aviation reporting.
New routes for 2026
On 13 February 2026 Loganair unveiled a cluster of new summer routes from Jersey, one of the biggest additions to the island's network in recent years. From late May and early June the airline began flying Jersey to Paris Charles de Gaulle (three times weekly from 31 May), Dublin (twice weekly from 1 June), East Midlands (daily from 31 May) and Norwich. The Paris service is notable because it is the first time in Loganair's history that it has operated a scheduled route to France. A further Jersey to Bordeaux service was added from 19 June, and capacity on the existing Jersey to Bristol route was increased from early June.
The expansion shows Loganair using its ATR turboprops well beyond its Scottish heartland, chasing point-to-point leisure demand from the Channel Islands rather than adding to its domestic core.
Trimming the Highland timetable
The other side of the 2026 story is retrenchment closer to home. From 19 July 2026 Loganair reduced three Inverness services, to Stornoway, to Orkney (Kirkwall) and to Shetland (Sumburgh), from daily operations to weekends only. The airline pointed to rising fuel prices alongside escalating aircraft repair costs, airport fees and route charges, saying it had to sustain lifeline routes where passenger numbers are limited while protecting the long-term viability of the wider network. It was a reminder that even subsidised regional flying sits on fine margins.
Fleet and the lifeline island network
Loganair's backbone remains its ATR fleet, a mix of ATR 42-500 and ATR 72-600 turboprops that handle most mainland and inter-island runs. Longer, faster mainland sectors are flown by its Embraer ERJ-145 regional jets. Two specialist types keep the smallest airfields open: the De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter, which operates the Glasgow to Barra service that lands on Traigh Mhor beach at low tide, the only scheduled beach landing in the world, and the Britten-Norman Islander used on the Orkney inter-isles hops.
Those island links define what Loganair is. It was reselected as Orkney's inter-isles air provider for a further four years running from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2029, connecting Kirkwall with the northern isles it has served since 1967. Under Scotland's lifeline air services framework, Transport Scotland supports flights from Glasgow to Barra, Campbeltown and Tiree, a role Loganair has held since 1974, while Comhairle nan Eilean Siar backs services within the Western Isles. These Public Service Obligation routes exist precisely because there is no viable alternative for communities without a bridge or ferry within reach.
For more Scottish flying, see our profile of Loganair and airport guides for Glasgow, Inverness, Kirkwall, Sumburgh, Stornoway and Barra, or browse the full airport directory and our Scottish island flights guide.
Sources: Loganair newsroom (loganair.co.uk/news), Travel And Tour World Jersey-routes report, Alloa Advertiser on the July service reductions, Loganair Orkney inter-isles contract release, Transport Scotland lifeline air services, Loganair flights-to-Barra page. Verified July 2026.
