Oban (OBN): no screening, no liquids rule, and weight decides who flies
Oban Airport is at North Connel, not in Oban, and its Islander flights to Coll, Colonsay and Tiree are unscreened. If the aircraft is over weight, the last passenger to check in is the one who is offloaded.
- The airport is at North Connel, several miles up the coast from Oban town. Plan a road transfer, not a walk.
- Baggage is not searched or security screened on these flights, and the operator states there is therefore no limit on liquids carried.
- Dangerous goods are still banned in hand and hold luggage, and you are asked to confirm at check-in that you have none.
- If the aircraft is over weight, excess baggage is removed first. Then the last passenger to check in is offloaded, unless somebody volunteers.
- A volunteer receives EU261 compensation. Being early is worth something here.
- Passengers are not weighed. The operator uses industry standard weight projections.
- The fleet is the Britten-Norman Islander, five of them across the Shetland, Oban and Stornoway routes.
- Flights go to Coll, Colonsay and Tiree on a summer timetable from 29 March to 25 October and a winter one from 25 October to 28 March.
- There is no wheelchair access to the aircraft and no mechanical lift. You must board and leave unaided or with a companion.
- One foldable wheelchair per flight can be carried in addition to luggage.
- Oban town has car hire, taxis and Citylink coaches from Glasgow, and the CalMac ferry terminal for Mull, Lismore and Colonsay sits close to the town centre.
- If the flight is cancelled for weather, the operator provides nothing. EU261 assistance applies only to cancellations within their control.
The airport is not in Oban
- Oban Airport is at North Connel, on the far side of Loch Etive from the town, and Argyll and Bute Council lists it under public transport rather than as a town facility.
- The council's own pitch is a no-fuss check-in and the view, and both are accurate. This is a single small building serving Islander aircraft.
- Onward travel is Oban's, not the airport's: car hire, local taxi firms, Citylink coaches to and from Glasgow, and the CalMac ferry terminal near the town centre for Mull, Lismore and Colonsay. Arrange the transfer to town before you fly, because nothing meets the aircraft automatically.
What is different about flying from here
- There is no security screening. Hebridean Air Services states that passengers will not have their baggage searched or screened, and that there is consequently no limit on the amount of liquids carried. That is genuinely unusual and worth knowing before you throw away a bottle of water.
- Dangerous goods remain prohibited in both hand and hold luggage, and check-in asks you to confirm you are carrying none.
Weight, and the passenger who gets left
- The aircraft is small enough that weight decides the load. The operator uses standard weight projections rather than weighing individual passengers.
- If the aircraft comes out over weight, excess baggage is removed first. If that is not enough, the last passenger to check in is the one offloaded, unless somebody volunteers instead.
- A volunteer receives EU261 compensation. So does an offloaded passenger, in principle, but the simple defence is to check in early.
Accessibility
- The aircraft has no wheelchair access and no mechanical device to lift passengers aboard. Ground crew will assist, but you must be able to board and disembark unaided or with a companion.
- A maximum of one foldable wheelchair per flight is carried, in addition to luggage capacity.
- The operator offers a visit to the aircraft before the day of travel if you are unsure whether you can manage the steps. That offer is worth taking up.
When it does not fly
- Cancellations within the operator's control, meaning technical or flight operations problems, bring accommodation, alternative transport, meal vouchers and rebooking or a refund under EU261.
- Weather cancellations bring none of that. On this coast that is the common case, so build slack into onward connections.
Comments
No comments yet. Share the first one.
Share a tip
Sign in to continue.