Norwich base to be axed by Loganair

Formal talks were taking place last week between Loganair and its 44-strong team of pilots, cabin crew and engineers at Norwich after the airline said it was closing the base on 5 January. Norwich Airport said it was seeking other airlines to fill the gap.

Loganair managing director Jonathan Hinkles said a major reason was a lack of improvement in passenger numbers on Manchester flights following the introduction of Embraer jets earlier this year, making the route no longer viable.

The airline will continue to operate from Norwich to Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Jersey using aircraft and crews from its Scottish bases but plans for a new Norwich – Newquay service next year have also been axed.

Last week’s talks were aimed at minimising redundancies among Norwich staff by offering positions in other parts of the Loganair network should the proposal go ahead.

Hinkles said: “It’s a disappointing outcome following the hard work earlier this year to transition Norwich crews and engineers to the Embraer jet fleet.

"We will be working to minimise redundancies through deployments at alternative bases and we hope these colleagues will stay with us, but it is recognised some may not be able to take up offers and thus sadly some redundancies are likely."

www.loganair.co.uk

www.norwichairport.co.uk

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