Orkney approves inter-islands air and ferry summer 2022 timetables

Orkney councillors have approved the inter-island air and ferry timetables for summer next year.

The decision was made at Tuesday’s meeting of the development and infrastructure committee and will be subject to budgeting for next year.

The summer timetable for the inter-isles air service, operated by Loganair, will begin on February 21 and end on October 29.

The inter-isles ferry summer timetable also saw no changes, with committee chairman Graham Sinclair remarking that it was “very much the status quo”.

The timetable will run from May 8 to September 27 next year.

Two requests for changes to the timetable were made through the Ferry Services Consultative Forum, however neither were included in the final timetable.

The first was from a forum member from Stronsay Community Council. It was requested that the overnight stays operated during the pandemic be taken out of the timetable.

However, it was agreed that, as this would impact the rest of the Outer North Isles, this change wouldn’t be made.

The second request came from the Rousay, Egilsay, Wyre and Gairsay Community Council, which asked that the ferry, MV Shapinsay, be used on their islands’ route due to the capacity constraints those islands are experiencing.

However, the request was not supported by the transport representative from the island of Shapinsay, noting that the ferry MV Thorsvoe – which would be used on the Shapinsay route instead – was not a suitable replacement vessel.

By local democracy reporter Andrew Stewart