Loganair cancels Teesside to Heathrow flights

An airline has cancelled its flights from Teesside to Heathrow due to the service becoming "unviable".

Loganair said rising fuel prices and an increase in Heathrow's charges were to blame and the route would end in two weeks with passengers offered a refund.

The firm's flights from Teesside International Airport to Southampton will also be ended, a spokesman said.

Heathrow said there had been "extensive engagement" to try to find a solution to keep the Teesside service going.

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen claimed Heathrow had "hiked" the fees charged to airlines by 37%, resulting in an "impossible charge" of £30.19 per departing passenger.

The Conservative mayor called the price rise "ludicrous" and "daylight robbery", adding: "This decision shows [Heathrow's] disregard for regional connectivity."

Loganair said there had been "encouraging progress" in the aviation industry's recovery from the coronavirus pandemic with "bookings beginning to improve once again", but there had been a "significant increase in costs".

The Southampton service would also end as, with the cessation of the London flights, it "cannot be accommodated on the remaining Loganair aircraft", an airline spokesman said.

Phil Forster, managing director of Teesside International Airport, said: "I'd like to thank all of our loyal passengers who have been supporting this service since its launch and apologise for the inconvenience this will cause.

"Loganair remains a committed partner to our airport, and we are working alongside other operators to increase our routes and destinations to give local people an airport they can be proud of."

Kay Ryan, chief commercial officer for Loganair, said: "I am extremely disappointed that Loganair will no longer provide a London Heathrow service due to rising costs, and completely understand the decision taken for all the reasons outlined."

A Heathrow spokeswoman said the airport had a "strong track record of supporting and investing in domestic routes" and charges had been discounted since 2017.

She said: "Over many months, we have had extensive engagement with Mayor Houchen's office and Teesside officials to discuss solutions to help support this route.

"While this development is frustrating for us all, it is not from a lack of effort by Heathrow. We remain committed to seeing Teesside Airport connected with Heathrow."

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