Loganair (LM, Glasgow International) has secured a month-long charter contract to ferry oil and gas sector workers between Aberdeen Dyce in Scotland and Riga (Latvia) and Gdansk (Poland) on behalf of two unnamed companies.

The Scottish regional specialist said it will ferry staff members employed on response and rescue (ERRV) and supply vessels which serve North Sea oil and gas platforms, from Poland and Latvia to Aberdeen, the base for most of Scotland's North Sea oil and gas industry.

"The approach from these companies came right out of the blue. They explained the current crews had been forced to work beyond their allotted month-long shift due to the lack of scheduled flights home and it was imperative that their shift changeover be allowed to go ahead," Director of Charter Services Fiona MacLeod said.

The company had to secure special permissions from authorities in Latvia and Poland to operate the flights, given both countries have closed their borders to commercial passenger traffic.

The first flight under the contracts was operated on April 14 from Glasgow International to Gdansk and then to Aberdeen by E135 G-SAJR (msn 145431), Flightradar24 ADS-B data shows. Since then, E145s G-SAJF (msn 145245) and G-SAJS (msn 145390) have flown to both Gdansk and Riga.

"That has now been done and we have permission to operate charter flights to and from both airports over the next month, with the obvious hope the arrangement will continue beyond that date whether or not the COVID-19 restrictions continue," MacLeod added.