The AirTask group has announced the acquisition of Hebridean Air Services Ltd. and will now deliver the vital air services to Coll, Colonsay and Tiree on behalf of Argyll and Bute Council. These services are delivered with the help of a £2million subsidy provided by the council over the three-year term of the public service obligation (PSO) contract. The current contract runs to June 2018.

AirTask will also operate a commercial service to Islay, not covered by the PSO contract, as well as private charter services out of Oban Airport.

Councillor Alistair MacDougall, Policy Lead for Transportation, said: “We very much look forward to working with AirTask, building on the foundations of our successful partnership with Hebridean Air, continuing to provide vital services, keeping our island communities connected to the mainland. We particularly welcome AirTask’s significant experience of delivering similar services across Scotland.

“We would like to take this opportunity to thank Hebridean for their commitment to the services over the course of the past six years, and to wish them all the best for the future.

‘’We as a council are committed to supporting our island communities as much as we can. Despite the challenging financial climate we have dedicated over £2million to continuing this service. AirTask’s commitment to delivering these services is equal to ours and we are confident of building a successful partnership.”

Managing Director of the AirTask Group, Julie Simper, said: “We look forward to working in partnership with the council, continuing to provide the air services for the island communities.

“We have over ten years of experience delivering PSO flights in Scotland for Shetland Islands Council, and we feel that this is a good fit for us.”

The scheduled flights out of Oban Airport will continue as normal, and the level of subsidy in the PSO contract remains the same.