Loganair to compete on Southampton air route

Blue Islands will face competition from its former codeshare partner, Loganair, from next year.

The Scottish airline has announced it will operate new daily flights between Jersey and Southampton from early 2026.

In a statement released on Thursday afternoon, the airline promised "a reliable, resilient service" using one of its Embraer 145 jets.

A spokesperson said: "We are delighted to be announcing another new route from our new Southampton base, linking this important coastal city to Jersey.

"The DNA of our business for over six decades has been to link regions and cities and to connect island communities to the mainland.

"We recognise how important a reliable and resilient service is between Jersey and Southampton, and we are looking forward to serving these communities with the new route, set to commence in early 2026.

"We are also looking forward to supporting inbound tourism to Jersey, boosting the visitor economy and working in partnership with the outstanding local hospitality sector."

What does this mean for their codeshare agreement with Blue Islands?

Since 2020, Loganair has been a "codeshare partner" of Blue Islands. This means passengers who booked through either airline can travel anywhere on either airline's network of routes on a single ticket.

ITV News reports that Blue Islands immediately suspended any future codeshare bookings, with an airline spokesperson reportedly saying: "We intend that existing bookings for all customers to connect between Blue Islands and Loganair flights, and for any customer who has booked a Blue Islands flight via Loganair, will be honoured in full.

"There is no need for any customer holding an existing booking to take action, albeit no new codeshare bookings will be possible from today.

"If a customer wishes to amend or cancel any such booking for future travel, they are able to do so by contacting the airline or travel agent through which their booking was first made."

What are the benefits for Jersey consumers?

The Jersey Consumer Council welcomes the addition of another airline to the Island's lifeline Southampton air route.

While Blue Islands has served Jersey passengers for many years and will hopefully continue to do so in the future, competition on the route will help ensure that both airlines provide reasonably priced airfares.

The route hasn't always been exclusively served by one airline. For many years, Flybe also operated daily flights between Southampton and Jersey alongside Blue Islands.

Loganair offers customers the chance to collect Avios points as they fly, which can be redeemed to provide money off a range of products, including future flights, hotels, or converted to Nectar points to provide discounts on high street purchases.

As Loganair is based in the UK rather than the Channel Islands, the airline must comply with the UK's rules on providing compensation to passengers whose journeys have been disrupted.

Is there any chance of discounted flights for Islanders?

The airline serves the Scottish islands of Barra and Tiree, with residents eligible to apply for a Residents' Fare Card, entitling them to discounted airfares.

However, this scheme is subsidised by Transport Scotland, so a similar agreement would need to be reached with the Government of Jersey.