Flights to and from Kirkwall in Orkney were cancelled on Wednesday after 'unforeseen staffing issues' closed the airport's air traffic control.
The closures affected Loganair's Edinburgh-Kirkwall return service and the Aberdeen-Kirkwall flight on Wednesday, as well as Thursday morning's Kirkwall-Aberdeen service. Hial said it had not been possible to plan the closures around the flight schedule.
A Hial spokesperson said: 'Wherever possible, we try to plan such closures around our flight schedule but regrettably this has not been possible on this occasion, and a limited number of flights are affected. Passengers should contact their airline directly for the latest information on their flight. We apologise for the inconvenience this will cause.'
Loganair said its services were affected and said it had arranged welfare support and overnight accommodation for passengers affected on Wednesday. A spokesperson said an additional Edinburgh-Kirkwall return service would depart Edinburgh at 15:30. They added: 'We apologise for the inconvenience caused, which is outwith Loganair's control, and thank our customers for their patience and understanding while we work to get them to their destinations.'
Similar issues affected Inverness Airport in May.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- Disruption to air travel in Orkney, a region heavily reliant on air links for passenger and freight transport
- Recurring staffing issues at regional airports raise questions about resilience in Highlands and Islands air services
- Passengers face uncertainty and additional costs; the incident highlights the vulnerability of small airports to workforce shortages
Background
Kirkwall Airport, operated by Hial, is a key transport hub connecting Orkney to the Scottish mainland. Staffing shortages at regional airports have led to occasional closures in the past, with Inverness Airport experiencing a similar issue in May 2026.
Key Perspectives
Hial: said it tries to plan closures around flight schedules but was unable to do so on this occasion, and apologised for the inconvenience.
Loganair: confirmed its services were affected, arranged accommodation for passengers, and added an extra Edinburgh-Kirkwall flight; it said the disruption was outwith its control.
What to Watch
- Whether additional flights are needed to clear passenger backlog
- Any further closures or staffing updates from Hial in the coming days
- Potential reviews of staffing levels at regional airports following recurrent issues
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 11 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedUnforeseen staffing issues closed Kirkwall’s air traffic control.BBC Scotland: “'Unforeseen staffing issues' close Kirkwall's air traffic control.”
- SupportedLoganair services to and from Orkney were affected by the air traffic control closure.BBC Scotland: “Loganair said its services were affected by the closure of air traffic control.”
- Partly supportedFlights to and from Kirkwall were cancelled on Wednesday because of the staffing issues.BBC Scotland: “Flights to and from Kirkwall in Orkney were cancelled after "unforeseen staffing issues" closed the airport's air traffic control.”
- SupportedThe phrase “unforeseen staffing issues” describes the reason for the closure.BBC Scotland: “Flights to and from Kirkwall in Orkney were cancelled after "unforeseen staffing issues" closed the airport's air traffic control.”
- SupportedA Hial spokesperson said it was not possible to plan the closures around the flight schedule on this occasion.BBC Scotland: “A Hial spokesperson said: "Wherever possible, we try to plan such closures around our flight schedule but regrettably this has not been possible on this occasion, and a limited number of flights are affected.”
- SupportedThe Hial spokesperson said passengers should contact their airline for flight information and apologised for the inconvenience.BBC Scotland: “Passengers should contact their airline directly for the latest information on their flight. We apologise for the inconvenience this will cause.”
- SupportedThe Hial spokesperson’s quoted remarks about planning closures and contacting the airline match the source.BBC Scotland: “Wherever possible, we try to plan such closures around our flight schedule but regrettably this has not been possible on this occasion, and a limited number of flights are affected.”
- SupportedThe affected services were the Edinburgh–Kirkwall return service and Aberdeen–Kirkwall flight on Wednesday, plus Thursday morning’s Kirkwall–Aberdeen service.BBC Scotland: “Loganair's Edinburgh - Kirkwall return service and the Aberdeen - Kirkwall flight on Wednesday - as well as Thursday morning's Kirkwall - Aberdeen service - were affected.”
- SupportedLoganair said it arranged welfare support and overnight accommodation for passengers affected on Wednesday.BBC Scotland: “The airline said it arranged welfare support and overnight accommodation for passengers affected on Wednesday.”
- SupportedAn additional Edinburgh–Kirkwall return service would depart Edinburgh at 15:30.BBC Scotland: “A spokesperson said an additional Edinburgh - Kirkwall return service would depart Edinburgh at 15:30.”
- SupportedThe Loganair spokesperson said the airline apologised for the inconvenience, said it was outwith Loganair’s control, and thanked customers for their patience and understanding.BBC Scotland: “We apologise for the inconvenience caused, which is outwith Loganair's control, and thank our customers for their patience and understanding while we work to get them to their destinations.”
- SupportedSimilar issues affected Inverness Airport in May.BBC Scotland: “Similar issues affected Inverness Airport in May .”