Loganair celebrated passing a major milestone on its Exeter services yesterday as a very special first-time flyer helped to mark the airline’s 150,000th customer flying from the Devon airport.
Edward Church and Anna Sullivan travelled with their five-month-old daughter Iris to visit her grandparents in Kinross near Edinburgh, marking the first time that the frequent fliers were joined by their newborn in the air. The family travelled from Exeter to help look after Edward’s mum Jane, who has recently undergone major shoulder surgery.
The lucky customers were met at the Loganair gate in Exeter Airport and awarded a pair of free tickets to use on Loganair’s network of routes across the UK, Ireland, the Isle of Man and Norway, as well as lounge access before their flight.
Edward said: “We travel with Loganair frequently to visit my parents in Scotland, and we’re always impressed by their friendly service. Exeter airport is our favourite airport as it’s so close to home and there’s always a relaxed atmosphere with none of the stress of other bigger airports. It’s a real bonus to have been selected as a milestone passenger.
“Winning these tickets means we can take Iris back to Edinburgh to spend some more quality time with her grandma and grandpa even sooner than we’d planned, which we know they’ll be absolutely ecstatic about.”
Loganair is the UK’s largest regional airline and serves more airports and routes within the UK than any other airline, including key destinations like Exeter, providing a comprehensive network of regional connectivity.
Exeter’s links to Edinburgh will be enhanced this summer with the introduction of new, larger ATR72-600 Next Generation turboprop aircraft to the route. This will increase seat capacity by around 50% versus the Embraer 145s previously used on the route, helping to make more seats available at lower fares to the Scottish capital than before.
There will also be up to five weekly non-stop jet services from Exeter to Newcastle (daily except Wednesdays and Saturdays) throughout Loganair’s Summer 2024 schedule.
Luke Lovegrove, Chief Commercial Officer at Loganair, said: “We are grateful to each of the 150,000 customers who have flown with us through Exeter Airport since we started flying under our own banner in 2017. Regional airports like Exeter are vital to the communities they serve, and open up opportunities for business, tourism, and for onward connections to explore even further afield with our interline and codeshare partners.
“Loganair is operating a larger 72-seat ATR-72 on our Edinburgh services this year and we continue to serve Newcastle 5 times weekly over the summer period.”
Stephen Wiltshire, Managing Director of Exeter Airport, said: “Loganair is a vital part of Exeter Airport’s UK route network and we’re delighted to be marking their 150,000th passenger milestone. Edinburgh and Newcastle are popular routes from Exeter and Loganair’s investment in extra capacity this summer is warmly welcomed.
“With 25 routes on offer from Exeter Airport in 2024, our continued investment means passengers can enjoy even more choice and flexibility from their local airport.”
