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Visitor numbers travelling to Inverness Airport are on the increase, bringing much-needed tourists to the Highland capital.
The region’s biggest airport remained open throughout the coronavirus lockdown, providing services to the Highlands and Islands for Royal Mail and the oil and gas industry.
Inglis Lyon, the managing director of Highlands and Islands Airports Limited (HIAL) which runs the terminal, said that when restrictions were first eased they were also able to start flights between the city and Stornoway to transfer patients from the Western Isles attending Raigmore Hospital.
However, numbers began to build when easyJet started to operate some of the first commercial flights in mid-June three days a week.
He said it had been a big gamble, with 25 passengers per flight compared with more than 180, and added: “Today things have very much improved.”
Mr Lyon said other operators had now resumed flights – on Monday (August 3) there were 30 passengers arriving on a KLM flight and 120 passengers arriving on a British Airways flight, for example.
He said uncertainty over European holidays had also helped to encourage tourists to take domestic flights and the area was well known as a popular staycation choice for Brits.
He added: “There are new visitors coming up to enjoy the Highlands and Islands.”
Mr Lyon said that, as long as tourists followed the guidance on social distancing and hygiene, they could enjoy a visit to the Inverness area with confidence. He said: “If we all do that, hopefully flights can continue to come up to the Highlands and Islands.”
Operator Loganair is currently running flights between Inverness and Kirkwall, Stornoway, Belfast City and Manchester – with flights to and from Birmingham due to start next month.
Currently its services are operating on a reduced frequency, but Loganair also plans to increase the numbers of flights it runs during September.
And, while demand for flights has initially been slow, the operator is predicting an increase in demand as lockdown restrictions ease further throughout the UK.
Loganair chief executive Jonathan Hinkles said the UK’s regional air connectivity was more important than ever and added: “We look forward to restarting further routes in the coming months and as lockdown restrictions ease further, welcoming more passengers on board, bringing people back together to enjoy all the UK has to offer.”
JetsGo Holidays is still planning to introduce flights between Inverness and Majorca for September and October, which proved to be very popular last year, as it believed people were keen to start travelling again.
A spokesman said: “On the inbound tourism front, the big positive is that it seems other European nations have not suffered as much of a dent in confidence as the UK; for instance, in Germany the figures are a lot more positive with demand to travel even this summer high.”
He said this could benefit the Highlands with tourists from key markets soon starting to visit again – giving a major boost for the local economy.
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