Airline passengers from Orkney and Shetland will soon be able to fly direct to Heathrow Airport in London for the first time.
Loganair, the UK’s largest regional airline, has moved services Heathrow.
The airline has recently gained additional access to slots at Heathrow will move its services from Kirkwall and Sumburgh from London City Airport.
Flights from the City of Derry and Dundee will also move from the City of London Airport to Heathrow.
The flights from the islands will stop at Dundee Airport before continuing to Heathrow, though passengers are not required to disembark.
When will Heathrow flights begin?
The change could open up a wider range of connecting services, better linking Dundee to an array of global destinations.
Customers will be able to book connections to and from Dundee via London Heathrow to 97 destinations in 45 countries.
The switch will be made next month, with the first flight from Dundee to Heathrow on May 6.
Those moves mark the largest single expansion of regional, domestic air connectivity at Heathrow in a generation.
Loganair chief executive Jonathan Hinkles described the move as a “game changer”.
He added: “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.”
New Heathrow flights ‘exciting’
The moves to Heathrow will mean there will be seats available on existing flights to and from Dundee.
Dundee Airport manager Derrick Lang said: “This is a positive decision in terms of air travel from Dundee, and opens up a world of onward connectivity opportunities from Heathrow for the local community.
“As the country’s first Unesco City of Design, Dundee offers visitors a host of fantastic opportunities to discover.
The flights from Dundee to Heathrow will begin next month. Image: Kim Cessford/DC Thomson.”The new links will be a great addition for anyone wishing to visit Dundee and the wider Tayside area.”
More efficient air traffic routings into Heathrow will cut flight times and carbon emissions.
Heathrow’s 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.
“That 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.”
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