AIRWAYS SPECIAL
6
1980s and 1990s . British Midland also had just about ceased operating in the Highlands , Loganair was gambling on this potential outcome , which provided to be worthwhile . That gamble would not have paid off quite the way it did had it not been for the Saab 340s , which really helped Loganair establish itself right at the heart of Scottish aviation .
CHANGE IN FRANCHISE AGREEMENT
In 2008 , reeling from that year ’ s financial crash , British Airways decided to end its franchise agreement with Loganair . This left Loganair in a very sticky situation because the agreement had worked well . In the end , Loganair entered into a franchise agreement with UK regional carrier Flybe ( BE ).
During the transition period , Saab 340s in British Airways livery could not operate Flybe flights , and vice versa . This created a logistical nightmare for Loganair . For three months , starting in July 2008 , three different liveries were applied to the Saab 340s : the British Airways livery ,
7
an all-white livery , and a basic Flybe livery with a light blue underbelly and no titles . Even after the period had ended , Loganair struggled to maintain its schedule while aircraft were being put out of service for resprays .
THE SAAB 2000
Loganair continued to operate its routes under the Flybe franchise , with the oil and gas charter market booming for the airline . The year 2014 was the most profitable yet , but the airline needed more capacity and an aircraft that could win it more business . Around this time , a lot of tenders went up .
In March 2014 , Loganair took delivery of the first ( MSN2000-13 G-LGNO ) of five of the larger Saab 2000s , which it configured to seat
20 AIRWAYS MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2024 www . airwaysmag . com