A lifeline air service covering the most remote Orkney islands is up for renewal.
The islands council has issued a contract worth £7million for an operator to take over routes between the islands for the next four years.
The key service includes the famous shortest scheduled flight in the world, linking the islands of Westray and Papa Westray.
Overall the subsidised flights serve six of Orkney’s outer north isles, including North Ronaldsay, Sanday, Stronsay and Eday – providing a key link with the Orkney Mainland.
The service has previously been delivered by Loganair, which confirmed yesterday it would be submitting a bid to continue to operate on the routes.
Loganair managing director Jonathan Hinkles said: “We’ve noted the publication of the tender documents and are looking forward to putting forward our proposals to maintain the long-standing air services within Orkney.”
The inter-island service is provided by the council under a air services public service obligation (PSO) which establishes the minimum frequencies and maximum fare levels for each of the routes to the isles.
Brian Archibald, the council’s head of marine services, engineering and transportation, said: “These are quite literally lifeline services for communities in the outer north isles.
“The two aircraft that currently operate the service carry teachers and school pupils, visiting health staff, tourists, and island residents travelling to and from Mainland Orkney for a range of appointments.
“This is a vitally important contract for the isles and their residents and for Orkney as a whole.”
The council has put considerable investment into the isles airfields in recent years, including a new terminal building which opened recently in North Ronaldsay.
Another is under construction in Sanday, and improved fire-fighting vehicles and equipment have been provided at the six airfields.
Further improvements to runway surfaces and to other airport buildings form part of plans for infrastructure improvement.
Mr Archibald added: “We are interested in knowing from bidders what improvements to the service they might consider possible.
“We are asking those bidding to consider the service as it currently operates, along with potential options for enhancements. It must be stressed though that any improvements would require additional funding and the council would have to consider how this might be sourced.”
The contract is scheduled to run from April 1, 2017 to March 31, 2021.