Children with life-shortening illnesses take to the skies

Palliative care charity spreads Spring cheer on special Easter flight

By Calum Petrie

March 28 2023, 5:00 pm

Youngsters receiving palliative care took an aerial tour of the Highlands and islands with their families on a specially commissioned flight.

Children with life-shortening illnesses took to the skies for a scenic tour around the Highlands and islands.

An Easter-themed flight was put on by Loganair as part of its charity partnership with CHAS (Children’s Hospice Across Scotland).

Before they hopped on board, the Easter bunny surprised the kids with chocolates and gifts and also led an egg hunt at the boarding gate.

The trip then departed from Aberdeen Airport, where the children were accompanied by their families and the Easter bunny.

Amanda Flood was on the flight with her son Peter, aged four. The family live in Aberdeen with Peter’s Dad Graeme, who works at RAF Lossiemouth.

Waved to daddy below during first ever flight

Amanda said: “This was the first time Peter had been on an airplane and he absolutely loved it.

“He giggled while taking off and enjoyed looking out the window during the flight, waving to his daddy as we flew over Lossiemouth!

Peter Flood, four, couldn’t contain his excitement as he saw Scotland from above for the first time.

“Peter was also able to meet the Easter bunny and shared a moment sitting on the floor together looking through a book.

“It was a fantastic opportunity and an amazing experience for us. We would like to give a huge thank you to Loganair, CHAS and everyone who made this possible – a very special memory.”

CHAS is a palliative care charity which supports children and their families across Scotland who are suffering from life-shortening conditions.

Its mission is to ensure no-one faces the death of their child alone, and that no family feels forgotten.

Extra special Easter for CHAS families

Luke Lovegrove, Loganair’s chief commercial officer, said: “It was a privilege to spread some spring cheer at Aberdeen Airport and to help make Easter extra special for the children and families of CHAS this year.

“Witnessing the impact the charity has on families across Scotland is remarkable and humbling, and we look forward to continuing to support CHAS through our partnership.”

Lara MacDonald, senior corporate partnerships executive at CHAS, said: “The work Loganair has done with us since the start of our partnership in 2021 has been incredible and we are so grateful for their continued support.

“This is the second time the airline has arranged this Easter flight to enable children supported by CHAS who have never flown before to have this experience and create wonderful memories with their families.”

As the largest operator at Aberdeen Airport, Loganair provides a lifeline resource for the Scottish islands community, operating services to and from islands such as Stornoway, Shetland, Orkney, Barra and Tiree.

Through its partnership with CHAS, the airline has provided children and staff nurses with flights for ‘CHAS at Home’ services, offering specialist care and vital respite to families across the country within their own homes.