British Airways has announced that Glasgow-based Loganair is to operate seven Scottish routes currently served by its wholly-owned subsidiary British Airways CitiExpress.

Loganair will operate the routes under the existing franchise agreement with British Airways. The move ensures the future of the routes, including services between the Scottish mainland and the island communities of Benbecula, Shetland and Stornoway.

The transfer of the routes, together with the lease of four Advanced Turbo Prop aircraft , is part of British Airways CitiExpress strategy to accelerate its move towards an all-jet aircraft operation, simplifying its fleet and taking unnecessary cost from the business.

By March next year British Airways CitiExpress, will stop flying its remaining fleet of eight Advanced Turbo Props.

In Scotland, Loganair will take over seven of the British Airways CitiExpress routes currently operated by ATPs from March 1. They are: Edinburgh to Belfast, Glasgow to Belfast, Benbecula, Stornoway, Aberdeen and Isle of Man, and Aberdeen to Shetland.

Loganair already operates all services between the Scottish mainland and Orkney under its franchise agreement with British Airways.

Under the new arrangements, it is proposed that four ATP aircraft will be leased to Loganair and operated by pilots and cabin crew on secondment from British Airways CitiExpress.

Jim Cameron, chief executive of Loganair, said: "We at Loganair are pleased to work with British Airways CitiExpress to ensure that, through our franchise arrangement, these Scottish routes continue to benefit from the worldwide distribution of the British Airways product and brand. It is our intention to continue to develop our services, our product and our network for the benefit of our customers, our people and the Scottish economy."

Two British Airways CitiExpress ATPs will be grounded. The airline is seeking alternative opportunities for them until they are due to go back to the lessors in 2007. The remainder of the fleet has already been handed back or is in the process of being handed back.

In the Isle of Man, where three of the ATPs are currently based, British Airways will continue operating key business routes to Manchester, Gatwick and Luton using other aircraft types.

The airline plans to withdraw services from the Isle of Man to Dublin and Liverpool, but has secured continuity of flying from the island to Glasgow with Loganair and to Birmingham with Eastern Airways.

All these proposals are now the subject of consultations with affected employees and their trade union representatives.

David Evans, British Airways CitiExpress managing director, said: "Although we have accelerated our decision to withdraw the ATPs to simplify the fleet and allow us to focus on our core business, we have kept our promise to safeguard air links to the Scottish islands.

"We are conscious of the importance of air links to Scotland’s island communities, and have therefore reached agreement with Loganair to take over the Scottish routes affected by our decision to cease ATP operations.

"Loganair is a Scottish airline with a long and distinguished reputation of flying within the Highlands and Islands with turbo-prop aircraft. It is uniquely placed to operate these routes and maintain these important air services.

"It has operated as a British Airways franchise since 1994, and earlier this year we extended that arrangement for a further five years. The seven Scottish routes affected by today’s announcement will be operated under that franchise agreement, continuing British Airways’ long commitment to Scotland."

ENDS