Passenger numbers soar on Heathrow to Inverness service

Revived daily flights between Inverness and London’s Heathrow have been hailed as a huge success – with 75,000 passengers using the service in its first year.

Business chiefs last night pinpointed the route as a “key contributor” to the booming Highland tourism sector after it emerged that two-thirds of the trips were incoming.

And British Airways bosses revealed that they expected to welcome “even more” passengers on to the flights in the next year.

The vital link to the UK’s hub airport was axed in 1997, before being reinstated after a long campaign on May 3 last year.

Fears were raised at the time that the daily service might struggle to survive, with Heathrow’s boss John Holland-Kaye stressing the need to get “bums on seats”, while warning Highlanders to “use it or lose it”.

But Phyllis Stuart, British Airways’ manager at Inverness, revealed last night that the service had been a major success in its first year, performing in line with the flag carrier’s hopes, adding: “We are grateful to the business community and travelling public of Inverness and region as a whole for their continued support for the service.”

Highland business leaders believe that the Heathrow service has been contributing to the region’s growing popularity as a tourist destination.

Dancers greeted the inaugural flight to Inverness