Flybe has announced it will cease flying between Glasgow and Stornoway and between Aberdeen and Kirkwall from 4 March.
The services were operated by Eastern Airways, but Flybe said they were ‘no longer commercially viable’. Rival Logainair ran services in competition with the airline, which sparked a price war that saw fares drop for both carriers.
According to the BBC, Flybe will be adding 12 flights a week and a Sunday service to its Aberdeen to Stornoway route.
Loganair has agreed to accommodate forward bookings for Flybe passengers on bother services. Customers will be contacted by Flybe to arrange a re-booking.
The Scottish airline also confirmed that there would be no redundancies as a result of the loss of the Flybe contract for ground handling crew at Stornoway and Kirkwall.
Jonathan Hinkles, MD of Loganair, said: “We have maintained since the outset of competition that these routes could not economically sustain two airlines.”
Roy Kinnear, CCO of Flybe, commented: “We are naturally disappointed that passenger volumes on the Glasgow to Stornoway route have remained below the level needed to make it commercially viable for either Flybe or Eastern Airways.
“However, we look forward to Eatern’s established franchise flights continuing to serve customers travelling between Stornoway and Aberdeen.”