Budget airline plans major expansion from Yorkshire hub
Jet2.com has unveiled its single biggest route expansion for next summer from Leeds/Bradford airport.
Eight new routes are to be introduced including package holiday destinations such as Crete and Cyprus with fares starting at £48.99 and £58.99 one-way respectively.
Jersey will also be served together with Sardinia, Madrid, Hamburg, La Rochelle and Avignon.
The new flights all start next May as the airline set a target to fly 3.5 million passengers from the Yorkshire airport by 2010 – one million more than the current annual total of all flights from Leeds/Bradford.
The additional destinations will increase the airline’s routes from the airport to 36, representing a 20% year on year increase in capacity.
Additionally, flights to Geneva and Lanzarote will operate year-round and Paris will increase to a twice-daily service. Flights to Belfast International will also increase from two to three times a day and Toulouse will expand to two flights a week.
The airline also announced that it alone plans to fly 3.5 million passengers from Leeds Bradford airport by 2010; one million more than the current annual passenger figures for the airport’s entire operations.
Jet2.com chief executive Philip Meeson said: “Today’s announcements are very exciting and form part of our strategic plan to significantly raise the profile of Leeds Bradford International Airport.
“Our unprecedented route expansion today includes top sunshine destinations in two countries we’ve never served before; Paphos in Cyprus and Heraklion in the Greek island of Crete.
“More people than ever across Europe are now only a short flight away from Yorkshire and we are raising the profile of the region. Our latest route expansion will continue to target both business and leisure travellers and further drive tourism into the region.”
Airport managing director Ed Anderson said: “The addition of eight new routes for next summer, many of which have never been served before by scheduled services from Leeds Bradford, gives business and leisure travellers a superb choice of destinations from their local airport.
“It represents the largest number of new routes ever added to the airport’s portfolio in a single announcement.”
The new routes are:
1.. Hamburg (Lubeck) from £19.99* starts 1 May, four times per week
2.. Madrid from £28.99* starts 2 May, four times per week
3.. Jersey from £28.99* starts 24 May, three times per week
4.. La Rochelle from £28.99* starts 24 May, once a week
5.. Avignon from £33.99* starts 22 May, three times per week
6.. Sardinia (Olbia) from £33.99* starts 3 May, once a week
7.. Crete (Heraklion) from £48.99* starts 20 May, once a week
8.. Cyprus (Paphos) from £58.99* starts 4 May, twice a week
*Lead-in fare, one way including all taxes
by Phil Davies
Phil Davies
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