Loganair unveils first revamped plane in 13-aircraft fleet

The refurbishment of the first of 13 aircraft operated by the Scottish airline Loganair has been completed.

The interior of the Saab 340 that flies to and from Orkney was stripped out and renewed and the exterior repainted at a cost of almost £270,000.

Loganair, a franchise partner of Flybe, will spend £3.5m having the same work done to the rest of its fleet.

The first stage in the three-year project follows criticism about the reliability of Loganair services.

The airline's business includes operating lifeline routes to and from the Scottish islands, including Lewis in the Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland.

Last year, members of the public and MSPs raised concerns about the reliability of some of these services.

In January this year, the company announced that it was investing £15m in a programme of improvements and upgrades.

Image copyrightLoganair

Image captionThe interior of the plane before (above) and after the refit

As well as being given a revamp, each plane is to undergo a specialist check every 36 months.

Loganair said this "intensive process" would involve stripping back the aircraft to the basic airframe structure for an examination using X-ray machines.

Both engines and the flight control surfaces would also be removed to give access to the aircraft's structure and internal systems.

Loganair chairman David Harrison said he was "extremely pleased" the first plane had been refurbished

He said: "Our engineers and support teams put an incredible amount of time and effort into the project, and I'm certain our customers will appreciate their endeavour and enjoy the comfort benefits the renewal project brings to the Saab 340 fleet.

"This Saab 340 renewal programme again underlines the commitment made by Loganair at the beginning of the year to embark on a significant investment programme to enhance the fleet and ultimately improve customer experience."