KOI: Kirkwall Airport Closes Early Over Air Traffic Control Staffing Shortage

KIRKWALL, Scotland — October 29, 2026 — Kirkwall Airport (KOI) in Orkney closed early on Wednesday, October 28, and was closed for short periods again today because of air traffic control staffing shortages, causing several Loganair cancellations.

What happened

Airport operator Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd (HIAL) blamed “unforeseen staffing issues” in air traffic control.
Wednesday, October 28: The airport closed early. Loganair cancelled its Kirkwall–Aberdeen flight, that evening’s Edinburgh–Kirkwall round trip and an Aberdeen–Kirkwall flight. The exact closing time was not published.
Thursday, October 29: Further short closures affected a “limited” number of flights. Times and flight numbers were not published.
Extra flight: Loganair added an extra Edinburgh–Kirkwall round trip leaving Edinburgh at 3:30pm.
HIAL said it usually plans closures around the flight schedule but could not this time, and it apologized. Whether more closures are coming: TBA.

What it means for travelers

Check before you go. If you are heading to Orkney on Loganair, check your flight status close to departure. HIAL has not said whether more closures are coming.
Expect full recovery flights. Passengers from cancelled flights are being moved onto other services, including the extra Edinburgh flight, so seats on the next few departures will be tight.
Have a backup day. With short-notice closures possible, avoid planning an Orkney trip around a single flight, and leave a spare day if you have a fixed commitment at either end.