Long-awaited return of flights to the Lake District delayed due to staff shortages

The return of passenger flights to the Lake District - expected next week - has been delayed until September due to staff shortages, leaving those hoping to reach the national park by plane this summer to make alternative arrangements.

Scottish airline Loganair was due to commence services to and from the Carlisle Lake District Airport on June 4, but the promised eight flights per day throughout the week and 12 flights over the weekend have now been postponed until September 3. Services were scheduled from London Southend, Dublin and Belfast.

Kate Willard, head of corporate projects for Stobart Group, which owns the airport, said: “It is with enormous regret that we must advise that the launch of scheduled services from Carlisle Lake District Airport has been delayed.

“This major project to launch air services from a new airport relies not only on the airport’s infrastructure being complete but also on a full complement of essential operational staff being in place.

“Regrettably, changing circumstances around staffing means that this cannot be completed in time for the airport to receive scheduled flights as planned on June 4, despite every possible human effort being made.  

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“We know just how much this airport means to the people of Cumbria, South Scotland and the wider North West region and remain fully and wholeheartedly committed to working with all of our partners towards the new September launch date.”

A spokesperson said a global shortage of qualified air traffic control staff was behind the delay.

In May 2016, Andrew Tinkler, Stobart’s CEO made a pledge that passenger services would start at Carlisle by May 2017 after a grant towards runway improvements was promised from the Government’s Regional Air Connectivity Fund.  

With hopes for a convenient way to reach Carlisle and the Lake District, which receives more than 45 million visitors each year, dashed, travellers booked onto flights, which went on sale in March, for the summer will need to arrange alternative transport.

Loganair managing director Jonathan Hinkles said the airline is “working hard to inform all passengers. We completely appreciate the frustration which disruption to travel plans can cause”.

“All passengers are being contacted by the airline,” he added, “and provided with the option of a full refund or assistance with alternative flights from Manchester or Glasgow [the nearest operational airports to the region] as the customer may choose.”

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Tim Malseed, a spokesperson for the airline, told Telegraph Travel that those passengers booked to travel before September 2 are being offered the options to rebook free of charge on an alternative flight after September 3 or claim a full refund. He said that if the airline does not hear from passengers by June 18, a refund will be processed automatically. 

The airport remains open for general aviation traffic, for which it is more often used, that requires a lower level of air traffic control.

Carlisle Lake District Airport opened in the Thirties as an RAF base before being sold to local authorities in 1960. It had several owners before the Stobart Group stepped in.

There have been many failed efforts to establish passenger flights. British European Airways briefly flew from the airport to the Isle of Man and Belfast in 1946 and 1947; Court Line Aviation offered flights from London between 1967 and 1969; Air Ecosse launched services in the early Eighties; and in 1993 New Air began flights from Carlisle to Stansted, but collapsed after just two months.