Due to an aircraft malfunction, Nyxair's Thursday and Friday morning scheduled flights from Tallinn to Kuressaare had to fly via Hiiumaa.

"The primary aircraft serving Kärdla had an issue with one part of its airspeed indicator system. We had the replacement part, but after installation, certain tests had to be conducted. Unfortunately, the necessary tool wasn't available in Estonia, which is why we had to operate the morning flights with one aircraft, specifically the primary aircraft used for Kuressaare," Nyxair's CEO Jaanus Ojamets told ERR.

"Fortunately, the number of passengers was manageable, and we were able to accommodate everyone. No one was left behind, and no significant delays occurred. These disruptions only affected the morning flights, while the evening flights were operated separately with different aircraft," Ojamets added.

However, on Friday evening, the aircraft serving Kuressaare experienced a malfunction.

"On Friday evening, our primary aircraft in Kuressaare developed a hydraulic leak. As a result, the crew decided it would not be safe or permissible to operate the aircraft, so passengers traveling from Kuressaare to Tallinn on Friday evening were transported by bus," Ojamets explained.

A passenger who had planned to fly from Kuressaare to Tallinn on Friday told ERR that they, along with others, had to return from the aircraft's door. Later, in the waiting area, they were informed that the flight had been canceled.

"The leak was discovered by the pilots during the pre-flight inspection. The captain noticed hydraulic fluid dripping from the underside of the aircraft," Ojamets clarified.

"Since the Kuressaare aircraft malfunctioned on Friday evening, we also had to use buses for the Kuressaare-Tallinn route on Saturday morning," he added.

Passengers also reported issues with Nyxair's call center and difficulties purchasing tickets through the website, but Ojamets could not comment on this.

According to Ojamets, the situation has now returned to normal, and all flights are being operated as scheduled with the primary aircraft. Nyxair operates a 33-seat Saab 340 from Tallinn to Kärdla and a 48-seat ATR-42 to Kuressaare.

Disruptions more frequent on Kärdla line

"These kinds of things happen. Fortunately, on the Kuressaare route, such incidents have been very rare. On the Kärdla route, however, there have been more disruptions due to weather conditions, which are beyond our control," Ojamets commented.

"This is an interesting anomaly for us because since we started flying from Kärdla in March, we've only had a few flight cancellations on the Kuressaare route in the previous period, which spans over three and a half years. In Kärdla, the clouds are lower, and the weather tends to be foggier, making it often impossible to land, which results in either delays or cancellations," Ojamets explained.

"Of course, we can't overlook the length of the Kärdla runway and the approach corridors either. But yes, Kärdla is more sensitive to weather," he added.

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