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How are connection times in Inverness airport?

I'm looking at a tight connection between flights at Inverness and wondering just how challenging it would be to make the connection. Incoming flight is scheduled to arrive at 16:45, onward flight scheduled to depart at 17:30 - 45 minutes later. Both flights are on Loganair. We will only have hand/cabin baggage.

Flights are in July and late afternoon (so I'm guessing the chances of really awful weather are less than if it were a morning or in winter - but this is Scotland, I'm from Seattle, so I think I know what kind of weather to expect - anything!). It's a domestic flight, and I'm guessing that Inverness is a relatively calm, smaller airport (nothing like LHR) - presumable, to make this connection there's no need to exit the secure area and get rescreened - right? Then again, the onward flight is probably the last of the day (out to Kirkwall), so if we misconnect, we would probably be stuck until the next morning. It being the same airline is some comfort.

Is 45 minutes a reasonable time to make this connection at this airport? There is another flight we could take with a longer connecting time, but it's double the price (maybe that's why!)...

Thanks for your input.

Posted by
6788 posts

adding an update after discussing the limits on hand/cabin bags with DW...

I can probably manage all in the included hand/cabin bag limits for myself. But DW is hinting that she can not, and might need to check a bag for an additional fee. The fee isn't necessarily an obstacle. It merely complicates an already tight connection (45 minutes by the book).

So, to amend my post above - maybe we will have a checked bag. I'm guessing that Loganair at Inverness is a pretty small operation, and they would just pull a couple bags from the incoming plane and toss them on the connecting flight without a whole lot of fanfare, fuss or delay. The planes would probably be parked next to each other, within spitting distance. How long could that really take?

So, how worried should I be about that 45 minute connection? Thanks.

Posted by
5678 posts

Hi David, It's a small airport. It is smaller than Madison, WI's Truax Field. : ) Take a look at it on Google Earth an you'll see that there are maybe three gates. It's been a few years since I flew out of the airport so I can't remember exactly. Where are you connecting from and to? Is it the same airline? You might want to post this on TripAdvisor and see what the locals say. I've never connected, although, we did fly through Inverness (Edinburgh, Inverness, Kirkwall) when we went to Orkney. We did not even get off the plane at Inverness. (We did get served a tot of whisky on both legs!

My gut feeling is that you'll be okay. Are you sure you are changing planes BTW?

Pam

Posted by
6788 posts

Thanks, Pam. Probably a change of planes, but that's a good question - I'll look it up. Yes, same airline - LoganAir, booked as FlyBe (a fairly smallish, twin engine propellor plane). We will be coming from Stornoway (on the Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides), connecting at Inverness out to Kirkwall on Orkney. A shot of whiskey before takeoff sounds perfect and appropriate for such an adventure!

Posted by
2677 posts

I think you will be ok, you will probably be connecting with the Orkney flight for Edinburgh and they will take your bag off one plane and add it to the next plane on the tarmac. be aware these planes are very small turbo prop planes( usually around 40 seats)and have very little space for hand luggage so check what the limits are as what you might consider at standard bag will not fit in the overheads of these planes.

Posted by
5678 posts

Yes, as Unclegus say, you're likely connecting with the Edinburgh flight, which is the one we were on going to Kirkwall. I am pretty sure that there was a valet check for the carry on bags. We were on the last legs of a transatlantic flight and had checked one bag each and had a smallish carryon, that still had to have valet checking if I recall.

Have a wonderful time in Kirkwall and Orkney. You will find it different from Lewis and Harris. But how interesting to see Callinish stones and the Ring of Brogdar on one trip! Have you been following all the info on the newer dig at the Ness of Brogdar? Last fall National Geographic had a great article on it. Here's a link to video on it. I thought it was fascinating.

Pam

Posted by
7828 posts

Last August, we flew FlyBe from Kirkwall (an even smaller airport than Inverness) and landed in the rain at Inverness. We deplaned down stairs, outside, and walked into the terminal across the wet pavement. Loganair/FlyBe shouldn't book you on a connecting flight if they know it's not possible to make the connection - check and make sure they can assure you it will work, if there's any doubt.

The Ness of Brodgar dig that Pam mentioned is open with hourly talks by an archeaologist in July and August - well worth the stop when you're visiting nearby sights. Try your hand there, at drilling stone with an Iron-age-style bow drill.