UK regional carrier Loganair has shown its support for the LGBTQIA+ community with the official unveiling of its first-ever “Pride Jet” during Pride Month 2023.
Loganair is the official airline partner of this year’s Northern Pride event in Newcastle next month.
Wrapped in the classic Pride colours, the Embraer 145 will now be in operation across Loganair’s route network; visibly underscoring the airline’s commitment to creating an inclusive, safe and secure working environment for all its employees.
The 49-seat Embraer Regional Jet was kept under wraps in Loganair’s Glasgow hangar before its first flight in the new colours. The aircraft sports the airline’s iconic Tartan Tail alongside the rainbow flag.
The Pride Jet was unveiled yesterday Thursday, June 15 as part of Loganair’s LGBTQIA+ campaign and will be flying throughout its network.
This will include operations to a number of communities where Pride events have only taken place for the very first time in the last couple of years, in contrast to the long-established nature of such events elsewhere in the UK.
Supporting inclusion
Loganair is committed to creating a safe and secure working environment in which all staff, including those from minority backgrounds, can thrive and excel.
In a recent company-wide survey in which over three-quarters of Loganair employees took part, a record 82% of respondents said that people from all backgrounds can succeed at Loganair.
The airline will also be sponsoring this year’s Northern Pride in Newcastle (22-23 July), where this year Loganair has based a second aircraft and expects to carry a record number of customers across its network of routes within the UK and to Norway from its home base in the North East.
Official airline partner
Loganair is Northern Pride’s official airline partner and is supporting their health and wellbeing zones with volunteer staff, which have become one of the festival’s main attractions.
Thanks to Loganair’s sponsorship, these health and wellbeing zones will be spread across both days of the festival for the first time this year.
The airline has made a significant investment in its Flying’s for All Equality, Diversity and Inclusion training course, which will reach every single member of staff, regardless of their role, over the coming year.
Loganair Chief Executive Jonathan Hinkles said: “We’re firmly pinning our colours to the mast – or the fuselage in this case – as an airline that is not only open to all but as one that is a vocal advocate for equality.”
“Since we launched Flying’s for All, we’ve been blown away by the enthusiasm of our team to find ways to show support to each other.”
“We’ve established that our teams already viewed Loganair as an inclusive place to work – and there’s a keen understanding of the need to imbed that in our services every day and at every level.’’
Northern Pride
First formed in 2007, Northern Pride is an officially registered charity event which attracts people from all over the country.
The festival now includes a March through Newcastle city with entertainment, various LGBTQIA+ safe zones, information stalls, and market stalls across the Town Moor, Newcastle, plus an array of satellite events on the build-up to the festival, which now attracts over 70,000 people.
Ste Dunn, Director of Northern Pride, said: “It’s been fantastic learning over the past few months the support Loganair provide its LGBTQIA+ colleagues and how they collectively champion the mission of ‘flying for all’.
“Discovering the support particularly given to James Bushe, the first pilot living with HIV to be given a full licence without restrictions, has been inspiring and supports our mission to elevate the voices in our community that are still at risk of discrimination.”
“Pride Jet is a fantastic addition to Loganair’s fleet, and whilst visibility is vitally important for our community right now, you don’t get more visible than flying the flag thousands of feet in the air.”
