Flights between Benbecula and Glasgow will be cut down to just one a day from September 3.
Loganair’s winter timetable had previously been planned to take effect from the end of October.
A Loganair spokesperson says the change is intended to “provide greater certainty amid delays in the delivery of our new aircraft”.
“We understand that this will cause inconvenience to some customers and would prefer not to be taking this step. But it’s crucial that we take action to enable travellers to plan accordingly.”
The spokesperson added that the single Benbecula-Glasgow return flight will have a larger carrying capacity than the smaller, more frequent flights used during the regular timetable.
But the big drawback is that islanders can no longer leave on a Friday night and get back early on Monday.
There has been no public announcement of the new timetable plans, leaving some customers confused.
New travel headache for islanders
The Benbecula-Glasgow route is one of only two routes in Scotland that have been affected. Flights from Stornoway and Barra airport have not been affected.
Under the regular timetable, there are flights twice a day.
With the ferry services for the islands infamously unreliable, flights from Benbecula to Glasgow are one of Uist’s most vital links to the mainland.
Perhaps most importantly, the timing of the flights under the regular timetable means that islanders can fly out on Friday evening and be back early on Monday morning.
Under Loganair’s winter timetable, the single daily flight each way is at midday.
This means islanders will have to travel during working hours for a full weekend visit.
Weekend breaks to Uist without taking time off work will now also be off the table for many mainlanders.
“Affected customers will be able to amend their booking free of charge,” the spokesperson says.
“We thank our customers for their patience and understanding.”
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