AIRPORT chiefs are flying high with the announcement of yet more new destinations from Newcastle.
The two new routes are the sixth and seventh announced in only the last six weeks and transport bosses said it shows the continuing faith airlines have in the North East people and economy.
Budget airline FlyBe will be winging their way from the city to Cornish surf spot Newquay as well as forging closer links with the city’s twinned town of Bergen, in Norway, from May 5.
Dave Laws, chief executive of Newcastle International, said he was sure the new flights, which go on sale today, would be extremely popular with both business travellers and holidaymakers.
“The new direct flight to Bergen will further strengthen the region’s link with Norway,” he said.
“As twinned cities, Newcastle and Bergen have enjoyed a close relationship for hundreds of years with both benefiting from ongoing trade and investment. It’s a favourite for a short city break and for those wishing to visit Norway’s fjord country, while the North East is also incredibly popular with Norwegian tourists who visit the region to shop and watch our top-class football teams in action.
“Newquay’s return will also be very well received as the town provides great access to Cornwall’s stunning coastline.”
According to airport figures 4,381,659 passengers passed through their doors in 2011, around 8,500 down on 2010.
But only six weeks ago low budget airline Jet2.com added four new routes – to Rome, Venice, Bodrum in Turkey and Reus in Spain – to their roster, potentially adding up to 100,000 passengers a year to the airport.
And days later tour operator Cosmos announced plans to charter a Monarch airlines Airbus A330 from the city to Orlando’s Sanford Airport in Florida every Tuesday from the end of May until August.
Sarah Stewart, chief executive of the NewcastleGateshead Initiative said the new flights to Norway would be good news for the region.
“A new route could provide Norwegians with another reason to consider visiting at a time when we’re actively working to promote the area as an attractive and accessible short break destination,” she said.
Leader of Newcastle City Council, councillor Nick Forbes, said he was “delighted” by the news.
“New routes such as this help create jobs and attract investment to our region, and are a sign of confidence in our city in these challenging times,” he said.
“This is great news for tourism and the economy alike.” Flybe’s managing director, Andrew Strong, whose firm already had six summer destinations from Newcastle before this latest announcement, said he was committed to “keeping business and leisure travellers moving during these continued economically challenging times.”
“We look forward to welcoming all our new passengers on board,” he said.
New routes such as this help create jobs and are a sign of confidence in our city in these times
