UK low-fare airline Flybe is to establish an important link to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport from Inverness from September, a key service to develop trade and connectivity from the Highlands of Scotland. In the past British Airways and more recently bmi british Midland International have operated flights from the most northerly city in the United Kingdom to London Heathrow, but pressure on slots at the London airport meant that these services were terminated, leaving no real link to a hub airport.
bmi launched its Heathrow – Inverness route in March 2004 after BA moved its own operation to London Gatwick, but closed it just four years later in March 2008. Since then the airport has had no regular direct link to a major hub airport, although links to the capital have been maintained through low-fare carrier Flybe (London Gatwick) and easyJet (London Gatwick and London Luton).
“Introducing a regular service to a hub airport is something we have been working hard to bring to the region over the past couple of years,” Inglis Lyon, Managing Director of Highlands & Islands Airports Limited (HIAL), confirmed to The HUB earlier this year. “We ruled Heathrow out as an option immediately after bmi pulled its route, but we have been working hard to resurrect a hub link to promote inward and outward traffic into the Highlands.”
Talks with Flybe over the Amsterdam flight have been taking place for a number of years but it has taken a real collaborative effort between the airline, airport as well as funding support from Highlands & Islands Enterprise (HIE), the Highland Council, the Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership (HITRANS) and VisitScotland to make the route a reality.
“Flybe understands the importance of air transport for Inverness and the Highlands,” said Mike Rutter, Chief Commercial Officer, Flybe. “We have been keen to open up this route for many years and so are pleased that with the support of our regional partners this has now come to fruition. We have every confidence that this new route will prove extremely successful in opening up the rest of the world through this key European hub and to further encourage business and leisure connections between these two destinations to Scottish travellers.”
The low-fare carrier will initially offer six flights per week on the route, increasing to a daily schedule from summer 2012. The airline hopes to not just attract outward traffic from Inverness but to bring overseas visitors into the City and surrounding areas. Inverness is a popular tourist destination for European and North American visitors, eager to enjoy its scenery and even the possibility of sighting the legendary Loch Ness monster and this route will enable connections to be offered via the KLM network to destinations across the globe.
“The proposed multi-billion investments in renewables, University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) developments and the thriving tourism markets gives this route even greater strategic significance,” added Inglis Lyon.
This will not be Inverness’ first link to Amsterdam though. KLM’s UK division, KLM uk, served the route in 1997 and 1998, while ScotAirways launched a service on September 10, 2001, the day before the 911 terrorist atrocities, but suspended services just three weeks later due to a fall in passenger demand.
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