Flying home for Christmas: Festive schedule between Wick and Aberdeen announced

A new timetable to ensure people can fly to or from Caithness to see loved ones this Christmas has been announced.

Highland Council has teamed up with Eastern Airways to pull together the temporary festive schedule.

The usual double daily service between Wick and Aberdeen will run until December 23, allowing workers and students to get home for Christmas.

From December 24 until January 7, the temporary timetable will kick in.

Although there will be no flights until December 27, a single service will then operate until December 30.

Flights be off again on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day before returning to single daily operating from January 2-6, then resuming to normal from January 8.

It will be a boost to passengers, who only saw their flights between Aberdeen and Wick reinstated in April after a two-year absence.

‘Connecting people is at the heart of what we do’

Highland Council and Transport Scotland awarded Eastern Airways a £4million Public Service Obligation (PSO) to run for three years to get the flights back up and running.

Caithness was left without scheduled air services in 2020 when routes between Wick and Aberdeen and Edinburgh were withdrawn in a major blow for the economy.

However, flights from Wick John O’Groats Airport will operate up to twice daily each way on weekdays and Sundays from April 11.

Highland Council leader, and chairman of the Wick John O’Groats airport consultative airport, Raymond Bremner, said: “Every effort has been made to ensure as many regular flights as possible operate so people can make full use of them.

“Looking forward to 2023 and beyond, the council is aware of strong local desire for services to other destinations, and we are actively working with partners to explore this possibility.”

In addition to providing flights from Aberdeen, the airline is ensuring there is good connectivity from other cities such as London, Birmingham, Manchester and Belfast.

Roger Hage, commercial director at Eastern Airways, added: “The restoration of the Wick John O’Groats – Aberdeen service has ensured Caithness has quick and easy access through Aberdeen not only for direct business or employment related needs but also extensive onward UK and European connectivity.

“Delivering a strong level of frequency right up to the Christmas and New Year break with appropriately timed connecting services is even more important given the ongoing rail issues, while also ensuring fare levels are affordable through the close working of all route partners for the benefit of the region.

“Connecting people and places is at the heart of what we as Eastern Airways do, and the service was fought so hard to restore.”