On Wednesday 28 October 2026, Kirkwall Airport (EGPA / KOI) in Orkney closed early after unforeseen air traffic control staffing issues. Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd (HIAL) said further short closures were planned for Thursday 29 October. This is a new Kirkwall passenger-ops wave — local tower/ATC staffing — not the earlier Prestwick NATS radar outage across Scotland.
What travellers saw
Loganair cancelled Wednesday evening’s Edinburgh–Kirkwall return and the Aberdeen–Kirkwall service, plus Thursday morning’s Kirkwall–Aberdeen flight. HIAL said a limited number of flights were affected and that it had not been possible to schedule the closures around the timetable. Loganair contacted affected customers, arranged welfare support and overnight accommodation where needed, and added an extra Edinburgh–Kirkwall return departing Edinburgh at 15:30 on Thursday to clear the backlog. HIAL NOTAMs for EGPA also listed temporary ATZ deactivation and airport/ATC/AFIS/MET closure due to staff shortage, with normal callout procedures for ambulance, SAR and emergency flights.
If the schedule is critical
If an Orkney connection cannot absorb a tower closure or rebooking delay, a private jet or empty leg into an alternate Scottish field may keep the day workable once slots and HIAL hours allow. Rahizi qualifies the brief and returns partner options.
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Facts from BBC News, The Orcadian, STV News, HIAL statements and EGPA NOTAMs cited publicly (28–29 October 2026). Always verify with Loganair or your carrier.
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