Regarding the INV I’m afraid the news couldn’t be any worse! 🙁
Air passenger service grounded ten weeks after taking off
JOHN ROSS
A NEW air service connecting Inverness and Stockholm, which took off just ten weeks ago, is to be grounded next month because not enough passengers are using it.
The service, launched on 29 March, was the first to the UK by Snowflake, the SAS Scandinavian Airlines’ low-cost carrier. It has been operating flights on Mondays and Fridays with return fares ranging from £92-£200.
It has been decided that the service will be cancelled from 23 July, although a new attempt may be made to revive the route next year with a smaller plane.
About 1,700 passengers have used the service since it started – about 45 per flight – but it was not cost-effective for the 146-seat planes used on the route.
The inaugural flight saw 23 passengers arrive from Sweden and the first outgoing flight from Inverness carried 25 people. SAS said it was happy with early bookings and expected the route to be popular with golf, hillwalking, fishing and horse-riding groups in Sweden.
However, Alex Johnson, the commercial and marketing manager at Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd (HIAL), which owns Inverness Airport, said: “Unfortunately, passenger numbers on Snowflake’s Inverness-Stockholm service are not sufficient, and it will stop on 23 July, 2004.
“We are hopeful Snowflake will look at the route again, because with a smaller aircraft it could be a viable operation.”
Martin Tiveus, Snowflake’s head of marketing, said: “We would like to thank the people and organisations in the Highlands who have supported this service.”
David Stewart, MP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, said: “In the long term, a direct link with Scandinavia would have been good for local businesses and tourism. However, I am hopeful there may be a rethink, and the service can be re-introduced next year.”
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