Regional airline Loganair is to axe its route between Heathrow and the Isle of Man from 11 August after the island’s government failed to extend financial support for the service beyond the end of July.
Glasgow-based Loganair only started operating the route in November 2020 using a 49-seat Embraer jet – it had previously flown between London City and the Isle of Man for BA CityFlyer.
Loganair’s chief commercial officer Kay Ryan said: “We regret having to take this decision to cancel the Heathrow service and also very much regret the inconvenience to our customers.
“The sharp rise in costs of operating services at London’s premier airport coupled to the slower-than-expected rebound in passenger numbers after the pandemic mean that the route is not viable unless it has financial support from the Isle of Man government.
“We were given to understand the connectivity we can provide via codeshare agreements with our international airline partners at Heathrow was of vital importance to the island community, and it has therefore come as an unwelcome surprise that the Isle of Man government foresees no continuing requirement for the route.”
Loganair also operates routes from the Isle of Man to Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Jersey.
The airline is due to increase its Isle of Man-Manchester flights to twice daily from 31 August and up to four daily services by summer 2022.