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Air links to Scotland to be restored

Air links are to be restored between the Isle of Man and Scotland from next spring.

News that Manx-based Citywing is to operate nine direct flights per week was announced by the Scottish government this morning (20 Dec).

Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond and the Island's Chief Minister Allan Bell pledged when they met in July, to reinstate the link before next summer's Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Now that alliance appears to have borne fruit.

Mr Salmond says the two governments have worked hard together to secure the route, which in his words 'is simply too important a connection to lose'.

There will be nine return flights departing from the Island each week, two each Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and one on Sunday, Monday and Friday.

Citywing, an aircraft chartering company, says it will consider increasing that number if demand is there.

Air links between the Isle of Man and Glasgow and Edinburgh were lost in June this year, when Loganair, which operated the route on behalf of Flybe, pulled out, claiming both routes had become 'unsustainable'. 

Chief Minister Allan Bell says reinstatement of the Glasgow route is good news for the Isle of Man as a centre for business and tourism which "can only reinforce the social and economic connections that exist between the Scots and the Manx." 

 

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