The Co-operative airlifts stock to Shetland Isles during bad weather
The Co-operative Food was forced to airlift supplies to its stores on Shetland after ferries and freight boats were disrupted by the severe weather.
The retailer chartered an ATR 72F, a twin engine turboprop transporter plane, to make two trips from Aberdeen to the Shetland Isles on Sunday to deliver more than 40 pallets of fresh, chilled and ambient products, including turkeys and other festive items, for its food stores in Brae and Lerwick.
John McNeill, The Co-operative Food’s regional sores director in Scotland, said: “It is one of the busiest times of year for us and we had to pull out all the stops to make sure our stores on Shetland, as well as across the Highlands and islands, were stocked in time for Christmas.”
The retailer took the decision to charter a plane after gales and high seas resulted in there being no sailings to Shetland for several days.
Never Miss a Retail Update!McNeill added: “We have chartered freight planes before to ensure our deliveries get through to our stores in some of the remotest parts of the UK. Everyone involved went the extra mile to get the job done and at one point we were even talking directly to the air traffic controllers to ensure the flights went ahead, but everyone worked really hard as a team both on Shetland and on the mainland to make sure the deliveries got through in some very difficult conditions.”
