Carlisle gets first commercial passenger flights for 25 years
Loganair is to launch flights between the Lake District and Southend, Belfast City and Dublin.
It will operate eight flights on week days and a total of 12 flights at the weekends.
Flights, which go on sale today, will operate to and from Carlisle Lake District Airport and all services will start on June 4.
They will be the airport’s first commercial passenger flights since 1993.
Kate Willard, head of corporate projects at the airport’s parent company Stobart Group, said: "Stobart Group is committed to delivering a brilliant air travel experience across the UK and Ireland.
"We are therefore delighted to be announcing flights with Loganair connecting London, Belfast and Dublin with Carlisle and the Lake District.
"There is huge demand from London, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland to visit Carlisle, which is home to major businesses and serves as a gateway to the Lake District, two UNESCO World Heritage Sites and south Scotland."
The airport is also proposing the flights to Dublin provide an alternative to US-bound travellers, who can clear US immigration checks in Ireland.
Loganair MD Jonathan Hinkles said: "We’re delighted to become the first operator at the new Carlisle Lake District Airport, and will be opening up Loganair’s services to a whole new range of customers.
"With frequent services on each of the three routes, we have every confidence that these new flights will transform access to and from the Lake District for many thousands of customers each year."
Gill Haigh, managing director of Cumbria Tourism, said: "The new flights from Carlisle Lake District Airport will be a major boost for Cumbria’s connectivity and our £2.72 billion tourism industry.
"We welcomed 45 million visitors to the county last year, but a large proportion were day trippers to the Lakes. Our marketing strategy has a key focus on encouraging visitors to stay in the county as a whole.
"New flights though Carlisle will create alternative travel options and Cumbria Tourism is working in partnership with the airport to encourage new and existing visitors to enjoy more of our iconic landscapes and world-class experiences."
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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