Industry leaders have called for "urgent action" to safeguard flights between the Highlands and London.

It comes as one of the main operators struck a deal to sell all its landing and departure slots at Gatwick Airport.

Flybe announced this morning that easyJet has paid £20million to take over its slots at the London airport from March 29.

Normal operation will continue until then, the airline said.

It operates 19 flights a week between London and Inverness with connecting flights continuing to the likes of Benbecula, Kirkwall and Stornoway.

Flybe blamed higher taxes and "discriminatory pricing" at Gatwick, owned by private equity and sovereign wealth funds, for its decision to quit the airport.

EasyJet currently operates flights between Inverness and Gatwick, but not as many as Flybe. It said it will review the routes but there is no obligation for it to maintain them.

The Scottish Council for Industry and Development said Flybe flights between Inverness and London were a "vital economic link".

SCDI Highlands and Islands manager Fraser Grieve said: "Urgent steps need to be taken to safeguard flights from regions without competitive alternative transport options."

Flybe said it will continue to operate between Inverness and Amsterdam, Belfast City, Birmingham, Jersey and Manchester.