Loganair, Scotland's Airline, has today (Wednesday, August 8) added extra flights to both its Glasgow and Edinburgh services to Shetland ahead of the busy school holidays in October.
The Flybe franchise partner will add ten additional flights between Scotland's two biggest cities and the Shetland Islands during the two-week school holiday period.
The increase in services between Glasgow, Edinburgh and the Shetland Islands follows an increase in advance bookings for Loganair, which celebrates 50 years in operation in 2012.
Schools on the Shetland Islands break for two weeks from Friday, October 12, and many islanders use this time to head off on an extended holiday via Glasgow and Edinburgh Airports.
There is also a large influx of visitors to the islands during the October month, with tourists visiting the popular annual Shetland Accordion and Fiddle Festival (October 11-15) and Wool Week celebrations (October 8-14).
Commenting on the move, Loganair's chief operating officer Phil Preston, said: “We are delighted with the early bookings in and out of Shetland – demand around school holidays and the festival have exceeded our expectations.
“With flights on several dates throughout October nearly fully booked and more people still wanting to travel, we have responded to this demand by adding ten extra flights.”
Additional flights between Glasgow and Shetland will operate on Saturday, October 13, and Monday, October 15. An additional service between Edinburgh and Shetland will also operate on Saturday, October 13.
Flights between Glasgow and Shetland have also been added on Saturday, October 27, and from Edinburgh on Sunday, October 28.
Andy Steven, from Promote Shetland, said "It's excellent to see Loganair is extending its services between Shetland and Scotland's major cities during October.
“Shetland has never been so well connected to the Scottish mainland, and by further enhancing the service the airline offers, Loganair is displaying the ability to proactively react to demand through good knowledge of the destinations it serves.
“I hope these extra flights will encourage even more visitors to come and explore our stunning islands for themselves."