The UK’s largest regional airline collected the prestigious accolade last night at a formal awards dinner held as part of ERA’s General Assembly in Innsbruck, Austria.

Airline of the Year is ERA’s top award and was determined by a panel of independent, globally acclaimed judges. Loganair, which employs more than 850 people across its network, was honoured in recognition of its “impressive performance” in returning to profitability following the pandemic, whilst at the same time improving terms for its staff.

Judges also highlighted its progressive approach to the environment. The airline’s GreenSkies programme, introduced in 2021 to manage and mitigate the environmental impact of flying through a combination of carbon offsetting, renewables investment and sustainable aviation research, was the first of its kind in the industry.

Jonathan Hinkles, CEO, Loganair, said: “It is an incredible honour to be named the ERA Airline of the Year award for 2023 and I’d like to thank our magnificent employees for their extraordinary efforts in recent years. We were one of the very few airlines to continue flying daily throughout the pandemic, providing essential travel to remote communities, air ambulance services for Covid patients, and energy industry charter services that ensured the UK’s lights remained switched on.

“It is also very rewarding to be singled out for our environmental innovation. Developing sustainable aviation is vital for the future of our planet and people, as well as the industry.”

Montserrat Barriga, director general, ERA, said: “With an impressive overall performance during 2022, Loganair has overcome the challenges of the previous two years brought on by the pandemic.

“Simultaneously, it has delivered groundbreaking and meaningful environmental initiatives, supported social and humanitarian causes, and set in place key strategic innovations designed to secure its future. The airline’s attention to detail, clear thinking and decisive actions have led to measurable positive outcomes. Congratulations to the entire Loganair team on this impressive achievement.”

The annual ERA awards acknowledge the successes and achievements of the regional aviation sector. Its Airline of the Year award, introduced in 1991, has grown to become the industry’s most widely recognised accolade in this sector.

Loganair previously won ERA’s Airline of the Year award in 2018.