Buy Flights to the Shetland Islands
Book Shetland flights
Shetland (the Shetland Islands) is a sub artic archipelago of over 100 islands in the Northern Isles of Scotland. The islands are one of the remotest parts of Britain, and boast a stunning mix of sandy beaches and rugged coastline. The islands are also a haven for wildlife lovers — you can see Shetland ponies grazing on the hillsides, as well as bottlenose dolphins, porpoises and seals swimming in the coastal water. Despite its remote feel, Shetland is easily accessible by air. What's more, travelling between the islands is also just as easy.
Find out how Alternative Airlines can help make booking flights to the Shetland Islands much more affordable.
Search and book flights to Shetland using the search bar at the top of the page.
Fly to Shetland
Sumburgh Airport
To visit Shetland, fly to Sumburgh Airport (IATA: LSI), the primary airport serving the Shetland mainland and the surrounding islands.
Sumburgh Airport is located on the southern tip of the mainland, in the parish of Dunrossness — 20 miles (31 km) south of Lerwick in the parish of Dunrossness.
The airport is owned and managed by Highlands and Islands Airports Limited. Loganair is the only commercial airline to operate scheduled passenger flights to/from the airport.
✈︎ Airlines: Loganair
Loganair flights to Shetland
Loganair, the Scottish regional airline, is the only commercial airline operating flights to Shetland. You can fly directly to Shetland from major airports in Scotland, including Edinburgh and Glasgow. Via a connection, you can also complete your entire journey to Shetland when flying from lots of airports across the UK, including London, Manchester, and Southampton.
✈︎ Direct destinations: Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Kirkwall, Inverness
✈︎ Destinations with a connection: Cardiff (1+ connections), Manchester (1+ connections), Barra (1+ connections), Southampton (1+ connections), Birmingham (1+ connections), London (1+ connections).
You can book flights with Loganair with Alternative Airlines — use the search form at the top of the page to begin your search.
Flying amongst the Shetland Islands
Inter-island flights are operated by Airtask Group (Directflight). The small airline has its hub at Tingwall Airport, and primarily operates regional inter-island flights amongst the Shetland Islands. Directflight operates flights using its two Britten-Norman BN-2 Islanders, which each have a maximum passenger capacity of 9.
Fair Isle - Fair Isle Airport (FIE)
Foula - Foula Airport (FOA)
Tingwall - Tingwall Airport (LWK)
Tingwall Airport
Tingwall Airport (IATA: LWK) is a small commercial airfield located near the village of Gott, 4.6 miles (7.4 km) northwest of Lerwick on mainland Shetland. Although it is the nearest airport to Lerwick, it is not the main airport on Shetland (this would be Sumburgh Airport). From Tingwall, Directflight (trading as Airtask Group) operates flights to the islands of Fair Isle and Foula.
Tingwall ✈︎ Fair Isle
Tingwall ✈︎ Foula
Foula Airfield
Foula Airfield (IATA: FOA) is a small airfield, located on the remote island of Foula. Foula Island is also served by a ferry service, but as the journey takes 135 minutes + from Lerwick, many tourists prefer to take a short flight to the island. However, flights to FOA are also limited. Directflight operates scheduled flights between Foula Airfield and Lerwick.
Foula ✈︎Lerwick (Tingwall)
Fair Isle Airport
Fair Isle Airport (IATA: FIE) is a small airport located on the island of Fair Isle. The airport is owned by the National Trust for Scotland. Facilities are very limited. The only airline to fly to the island is Directflight, which flies from Lerwick on mainland Shetland.
Fair Isle ✈︎ Lerwick (Tingwall)
How to book Shetland flights
Alternative Airlines can help! We're a UK-based flight search and booking site, and we make it easier for you to make and manage all your flight bookings. Our site is simple and easy to use — use the search form at the top of the page to give it a go. For flights to Shetland, simply enter 'Shetland' or 'Sumburgh Airport' as your chosen arrival airport, along with your departure airport.
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Not only do we make it easier for you to book your flights, we also make it easier for you to pay for your flights. At checkout, you can use one of our payment plan options to spread the cost of your flights over time. Some of our payment plan options include Klarna, and Zip.
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Flights to Shetland FAQs
Can you fly to the Shetland Islands?
Yes, you can, and flying is the fastest and easiest way to reach Shetland. There are several flights to Sumburgh Airport per day, to and from all of the major Scottish airports.
What airline flies to Shetland?
Loganair is the only commercial airline to operate scheduled passenger flights to Shetland. You can fly directly to the island from all major airports in Scotland, including Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Inverness.
What airlines operate inter-island flights between the Shetland islands?
There are two ways to travel between the Shetland Islands: by ferry, or by plane. Ferry is a much slower way of travelling, with a limited schedule. To travel quickly between the islands, and for spectacular views of the islands below, consider flying. Directflight (trading as Airtask Group) operates inter-island flights.
Are there international flights to the Shetland Islands?
You can fly from anywhere to the Shetland Islands easily via a connection. Loganair only operates a limited number of direct flights to the Shetland Islands from major airports in Scotland. So, if you're flying in from outside the UK, you'll need to make a connection at one of these airports.
Does Shetland have an airport?
Yes, Shetland has a commercial airport. You can book a flight to/from Sumburgh Airport, on the main island of Shetland, to/from Scotland.
How do you get to Shetland Islands from Edinburgh?
One option is to travel by ferry. However, the journey is very long. Another option is to fly. Loganair operates a number of flights to Shetland from Edinburgh, as well as flying from other major Scottish airports such as Aberdeen.
Do I need a passport to visit the Shetland Islands?
If you are travelling domestically to Shetland from the UK mainland, you don't need a passport. You can fly with a valid form of government-issued photo identification, such as a driving licence. If you are heading to Shetland from outside the UK, you will need a passport.