Air charter operator Air Charter Scotland has been awarded a vital Public Service Obligation (PSO) route between Aberdeen and Wick in Scotland.
Photo: Air Charter Scotland
The contract was awarded by the Highland Council, with Air Charter Scotland serving the route from 12 January. Flights will be operated six days a week.
The link connecting Wick John O’Groats Airport to Aberdeen International Airport ensures essential transport for the North Highlands region. It was previously served by Eastern Airways, but had been paused following the collapse of Eastern Airways in October 2025.
“We are delighted to have been awarded the Wick-Aberdeen-Wick PSO air service and are proud to support the Caithness community by keeping this vital air link flying, providing a critical lifeline air service the region can be truly proud of,” said Derek Thomson, Chief Operating Officer, Air Charter Scotland.
A ‘lifeline service’
Under the previous contract with Eastern Airways, the Wick-Aberdeen PSO was funded by Transport Scotland (GBP1 million per year) and Highland Council (GBP300,000 per year). The PSO was originally awarded to Eastern Airways in April 2022. Described by Highland Council as a “lifeline service”, the main goal of the PSO is to support the community of the north Highlands providing residents with better access to employment, healthcare and social opportunities. It is also designed to support businesses and improve connectivity with the rest of the UK and boost tourism.
Why Aberdeen over other hubs?
The decision to serve Aberdeen, rather than Edinburgh or further afield such as Manchester is due to strong demand from the business sector and the offshore oil and gas industry. Aberdeen also offers vital connections across the UK with flights to London, Birmingham and Manchester. Additionally, other destinations such as the Scottish capital are considerably more expensive and simply unaffordable in the existing funding package.
To accommodate the service, Air Charter Scotland will add a BAe Jetstream 32 sourced from and operated by Netherlands airline, AIS Airlines on a wet-lease (aircraft and crew) basis initially. Ultimately the Scottish operators plans to add it own AOC in the next few months.
