91Èȱ¬

Scottish airline Loganair has said its turnover was more than halved from £169m to £81m by the Covid pandemic.

It said it was because its scheduled services were "severely restricted" during the past year.

The Glasgow-based company saw passenger numbers fall from 1.05 million in 2019/20 to 252,259 in 2020/21.

But Loganair, the UK's largest regional airline, said the falls in numbers were still less than those reported by other UK airlines.

Loganair was one of the few companies to fly every day in 2020/21.

In its annual report, the airline said it had continued to provide lifeline services for communities in the Scottish islands, the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland

Two of its aircraft were converted to become air ambulances to support the Scottish Ambulance Service, and its freight aircraft flew nightly trips to carry Covid-19 test kits.

Contracts to fly for major energy companies and to carry cargo and mail were also flown without interruption

A new long-term contract to fly between Aberdeen to Sumburgh for a group of oil companies also commenced in July 2020, and this contract was expanded this year.

Chief executive Jonathan Hinkles said: "Without doubt, the last year has been the most challenging in Loganair's 59-year history.

"The fact that we've been able to weather the storm is entirely thanks to the dedication and commitment of our people."