Loganair accuses easyJet of jeopardising Southampton routes

Budget airline easyJet has been accused of going head-to-head with Loganair in a move that could threaten the future of important but less profitable routes.

It comes after easyJet unveiled plans to fly from Southampton to Glasgow from October 29.

Budget airline easyJet has announced plans to fly from Southampton to Glasgow (Image: Supplied)

Loganair fears spiralling competition could jeopardise the viability of some of its year-round services, potentially resulting in flights not being available when people need them.

A return trip from Southampton to Glasgow, travelling out on Saturday, November 4 and returning on Thursday, November 9, will cost around £100 on Loganair.

Flying with easyJet, the same trip on the same dates will set travellers back around £64.

EasyJet recently scrapped two of its routes from Liverpool John Lennon Airport.

The airline said: "We concentrate our efforts on maintaining and developing routes which prove most popular with customers, focusing on offering routes with the greatest demand."

READ MORE: Work starts on controversial 164m extension to Southampton Airport runway

Posting on social media Loganair's chief executive, Jonathan Hinkles, listed four routes the company operates between Scotland and other parts of the UK.

He added: "Over the last couple of years the UK's largest loss-making low-fare airline has started up competition on each of these routes - and then hastily pulled off again.

"I fully expect that Southampton-Glasgow will be added to that list.

"Shouldn't we be happy about this? No not really. For as long as this lasts it has the potential to damage consumer choice.

"We fly all these routes throughout the whole year, yet we need to make a profit on busy summer Thursdays to ensure the service remains available on quieter wintry Tuesdays."

Jonathan Hinkles, chief executive of the Glasgow-based airline Loganair (Image: Loganair)

Mr Hinkles claimed that services "could dwindle to the handful of days and times when both airlines can fly viably" if the current trend continued.

He told the Daily Echo: "If you’re not making a profit, you can’t hang about.

"From 1992 onwards it’s been a free-for-all. It’s up to each airline what they do – and the market decides. All we can do is compete, and absolutely we will compete."

READ MORE: Southampton Airport seeks three million passengers a year, 2,000 staff and green businesses

EasyJet responded by saying it offered more domestic connectivity than any other airline in the UK.

It added: "We are always reviewing the opportunity to operate new routes where we see there is demand and can offer competitive fares which, along with providing greater choice, we believe is good for consumers."

Southampton Airport declined to comment.Budget airline easyJet has been accused of putting services at risk by operating the same routes as Loganair (Image: PA)

Last month Airports Council International (ACI) said budget carriers were "dictating the fate" of Europe’s regional airports as the aviation sector recovered from the pandemic.