Aviation

Scottish airline offers world’s shortest flight at just 90 seconds

There’s no time for a cheeky G&T before lunch and certainly none to watch a film.
With a flight time of just two minutes, there is no time for aircraft even to put its wheels up as it performs the world’s shortest commercial service.
Though its official duration is 120 seconds, under ideal wind conditions it can take just 57 seconds.
Logainair has operated the service since 1967 and last year celebrated its one millionth customer.
Now, the Scottish carrier has announced that it will operate flights in its own right from after 24 years of operating under franchise agreements with other airlines.

The Glasgow-based company, which operates another service that lands on a Hebridean beach, will once again market its services and fly under its own name and new tartan livery on its aircraft.
Managing Director Jonathan Hinkles told The Independent via telephone: “We have a strong level of recognition in our core market in the highlands and islands.
“That will carry us through. The task is to establish that affinity where we are not so well known.”

Royal Bank of Scotland employee Anne Rendall has used the short flight service more than 10,000 times visiting island communities across Orkney and tending to their banking requirements.
The aircraft used is a de Havilland Twin Otter eight-seater.
It is part of the Orkney Inter-Isles Air Service, which departs from Kirkwall on the main island and connects the isles of Eday, Stronsay, Sanday, North Ronaldsay, Westray and Papa Westray.
The service’s record flight time is 57 seconds, recorded in a favourable wind.

Aviation

Aeroflot Buys Used Planes for Spare Parts Amid Sanctions

In the face of ongoing Western sanctions that have severely impacted Russia’s aviation industry, Aeroflot, the country’s largest airline, has devised a strategic plan to bolster its fleet’s spare parts inventory.

The airline is set to acquire five Boeing 737-800BCF freighters from Atran Airlines, a move that will allow it to dismantle the aircraft for critical components. The planes, which will be transferred to Aeroflot’s low-cost subsidiary Pobeda, will not be converted into passenger jets but instead will be stripped for valuable parts to support existing operations.

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Aeroflot’s plan to purchase these Boeing 737-800BCF freighters comes as part of a broader strategy to mitigate the effects of Western sanctions, which have crippled the Russian aviation sector. With the sanctions restricting access to essential aircraft parts and spare components, Aeroflot is exploring alternative ways to maintain and repair its fleet.

Instead of converting the freighters from cargo to passenger planes, a process deemed “unreasonably expensive” under current sanctions, the airline intends to focus on extracting high-value components such as engines, landing gear, avionics, and other essential systems.

The deal will be structured in a way that allows Aeroflot to indirectly purchase the freighters through an insurance settlement with the aircraft’s lessor, AerCap.

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The Russian government’s insurance company will reimburse the aircraft’s value, and the planes will then be leased back to local operators. This method circumvents some of the restrictions imposed by international sanctions while ensuring that the airline gains access to the necessary components to support its fleet.

By dismantling the aircraft for spare parts, Aeroflot aims to secure critical resources for the ongoing maintenance of its existing fleet. Components from the Boeing 737-800BCF freighters, such as engines and avionics, are expected to be reused in other aircraft within Aeroflot’s network, ensuring that the airline can keep its operations running smoothly