Airport birthday treat for five-year-old plane fanatic

George Clark has taken more than 50 flights with Loganair before he turned five, so the regional airline decided to throw its biggest fan a special party for his birthday on Sunday.

George lives on the Isle of Benbecula in Uist with his mother, while his father lives in Stornoway on the nearby Isle of Lewis, so he has taken the 35-minute flight between the two locations dozens of times.

On top of this, he insists on his mother Sharon taking him to the airport twice a day – once on the way to nursery and then again on the way home.

Unsurprisingly, he wants to be a pilot when he grows up so he can fly his mother all over the world, and he enjoys playing with his collection of more than 100 toy planes.

Loganair decided to invite the frequent flyer onboard one of the aircraft for a special visit on his birthday, singing “happy birthday” and letting him inspect the plane.

He even got to sit in the cockpit and meet captain Ben Chesworth.

George Clark got to sit in the cockpit of a Loganair plane. PA Media

George is not the only one clocking up miles with the airline, his father Sean received a hamper from Loganair last year to thank him as one of its top 10 customers.

As regular fliers, the family have come to know the airport staff well.

Throughout the pandemic, George has not been able to fly as much as he would like so he was over the moon to be invited along for a special birthday treat on Benbecula.

Sharon Clark said: “George absolutely loves everything about planes – he has done since he was just two years old.

“He loves watching them take off and travel down the runway so we spend a lot of time at the airport.

“The staff have been incredibly accommodating to George and his travel arrangements and I am extremely grateful for their help and kindness towards him – it makes his travelling all the more special for him.

“I can’t really pinpoint a time when his obsession with planes started, however, he is a regular flier and every single flight is exciting for him.

“To get the chance to sit in the cockpit and meet the Captain is a dream come true for George. His fifth birthday is one that he definitely won’t forget.”

Colin MacLeod, local station manager for Loganair at Benbecula Airport, said: “It was a pleasure to organise a special treat for George and get him back onboard the planes he loves so much.

“As one of our youngest regular fliers, George’s face still lights up for every journey and we are delighted to be able to keep him connected with his family across our services.”