One of the architects of modern aviation in Scotland, Grier spent 36 years at the airline growing it from five aircraft and 44 staff to the largest regional carrier in the UK.

Grier joined Loganair in 1976 as financial manager. By 1983 he was managing director, steering the airline through a period of unprecedented growth.

Luke Farajallah, Loganair's chief executive, paid tribute to Grier at the ceremony at Glasgow Airport saying:

Scottish aviation would simply not be in the position it is today without the efforts of Scott Grier. He is a titan of our industry, and it is only fitting that our latest aircraft is named after him and his contribution to our business. 

This ATR-72 will operate across our network for years to come, a fitting tribute to someone who championed connectivity across the country.

Scott Grier said:

It is a huge privilege to have this aircraft named after me - a very humbling experience. I still get the buzz coming to the airport as I did nearly 50 years ago when my career began. 

The potential for aviation in Scotland is huge, and I am a passionate advocate for the sector and for young people considering a career in aviation.

In March 1997, Grier succeeded in leading a management buyout that left him chairman and largest shareholder of the company, as he rebuilt the business and the brand.

Across the next 15 years, he would grow turnover from around £5 million to £72.6 million whilst passenger numbers rose from roughly 50,000 to more than 527,000 a year.

Grier retired as chairman in September 2012, at Loganair's 50th anniversary, selling his stake to brothers Stephen and Peter Bond and becoming the airline's first president.

That same year, the Baird of Bute Society named him the first recipient of its Scottish Aviation Award, created to honour a significant contribution to aviation in Scotland. Grier used the occasion to launch the Loganair-Baird Flying Scholarship, giving a Highlands and Islands school-leaver 12 hours of flying lessons each year.

To coincide with the 50^th Anniversary, he wrote Loganair: A Scottish Survivor 1962-2012, a history of the airline drawn from his own 36 years inside it.

Today, Loganair is the UK’s largest regional airline, employing more than 900 staff and operating out of more than 35 destinations across a 70-route network, including Aberdeen, Shetland, Orkney, as well as the Isle of Man, London, Jersey and Dublin.