Skybus (United Kingdom) (IOS, Land's End) will phase-out its four BN-2s Islanders by March 14, 2020, as it strives to reduce losses generated by its shuttle flights between the Isles of Scilly and the United Kingdom mainland.
"We are beginning the process of moving to operating a single fleet of Twin Otter aircraft on our Skybus routes to and from the islands. This follows our discussions at this year’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) on how best to improve the efficiency of the currently loss-making air services while maintaining schedules and providing a better experience for our customers," airline parent firm Steamship Group said in a press release.
The Scillonian company currently operates four BN-2s and four DHC-6-300s, using them to run shuttle flights between Isles of Scilly St. Mary's in the Isles of Scilly and Land's End, Newquay, and Exeter (seasonally) on the UK mainland. In 2018, the airline racked up GBP500,000 pounds (USD645,000) worth of losses.
"A considerable amount of work in reviewing operations and forward planning has been done to ensure that a more efficient use of our Twin Otter fleet can allow us to fly a schedule to fulfil the demand for the summer of 2020," Steamship Group added.
The company also said that it was working to "implement efficiencies" across its aviation business, including new commercial policies.
Skybus provides a vital service for the Isles of Scilly, an archipelago of five inhabited islands located around 50 kilometres from the UK's southwestern-most point, that is heavily dependent on tourism. It is the only airline serving St. Mary's. The islands are also connected to the mainland by a ferry, also operated by Steamship Group. The company is owned by over 1,000 small shareholders, including a substantial number of Scillonians.
