Scotland’s airline, Loganair, celebrates its 60th birthday and has gone on to become the UK’s largest regional airline.
In 1962 Loganair’s founder Willie Logan, owner of a construction company, bought air taxi firm Capital Services which he had used to travel the country between building sites.
And in October 1963 Loganair’s first scheduled flight took off between Dundee and Turnhouse Airport, Edinburgh, to transport Tay Road Bridge workers.
As the 60th anniversary is marked, here are just some of the more lively and entertaining events and passengers who have travelled with them:
1977 - 10th anniversary of Loganair’s Orkney inter-isles air service
The then Leader of HM Opposition – Rt Hon Margaret Thatcher – was due to visit Shetland that day but due to fog in Sumburgh, her flight was diverted to Kirkwall and she landed into the early stages of the low-key anniversary event. However, she made an off-the-cuff speech declaring: “I marvel that you get anything on schedule at all in these islands.”
Mrs Thatcher is pictured with MD Duncan McIntosh, journalist Ian Archer from The Herald and Captain Andy Alsop who was the Senior Pilot in Orkney.
2015 – Carrying hedgehogs from Benbecula to Glasgow to assist depopulation of hedgehogs as they are not indigenous to the Western isles.
2017 - 50th anniversary of services to Westray – HRH the Duke of Gloucester, visited Westray and Papa Westray. The duke looked up at the Loganair route map asking which airport it was in Scotland at which Prince Charles ran one of the Queen’s Flight aircraft off the end of the runway.
2018 – Carriage of passenger and pet parrot for psychiatric treatment for the parrot, completed over a number of months travelling weekly.
Also a two-week-old seal took to the skies, after Loganair received an unusual passenger request for an abandoned pup to be flown to Glasgow.
The young pup was rescued by local vet David Buckland on Eriskay in the Western Isles, after occupants of a house overlooking Prince’s Beach found her.
The baby seal, accompanied by the vet from the Southern Isles Veterinary Practice, flew from Benbecula to Glasgow before travelling to the SSPCA National Wildlife Rescue Centre in Alloa.
2022 – carriage of Blue Crowned Laughing Thrush, zoo transfer from Edinburgh to Jersey (Durrell).
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