Thomson says second UK base is not Coventry replacement
Thomson is launching flights from a second UK airport but says operations will continue at Coventry despite problems with local authorities.
The operator will offer flights with Thomsonfly from Robin Hood Doncaster Sheffield with four aircraft. It says the airport will be a second base to Coventry, which it launched in March.
However, operations from Coventry have come up against problems after two enforcement notices were issued that was aimed at preventing the facility’s passenger terminal from being used. Warwick District Council issued the notice after claiming that work carried out on the terminal had breached planning regulations.
A spokeswoman for Thomsonfly based at Coventry airport told TravelMole: “It is definitely a second base and everything is going ahead in Coventry. We are appealing against the enforcement notices, which we expect to be a long and drawn-out process, and in the mean time operations continue as normal.”
Thomsonfly offers flights from Coventry to 11 destinations, including Marseille, Palma Rome, Naples and Venice. As well as local opposition to the airport expansion, local supporters have grouped together to form a website, www.supportcoventryairport.co.uk.
Thomsonfly will offer schedule flights from Robin Hood to a number of destinations from spring 2005 including Jersey, Malaga, Valencia, Palma, Alicante, Ibiza, Barcelona, Nice, Marseilles, Rome, Naples, Pisa, Venice, Prague, Salzburg, Belfast and Amsterdam. Flights will go on sale before the end of the year from under £20. Details of the new routes will be available on the airline’s website www.thomsonfly.com.
Charter flights will also operate for summer 2005 to Palma, Ibiza, Mahon, Gerona, Alicante, Malaga, Faro, Las Palmas, Tenerife, Naples, Malta, Corfu, Rhodes, Paphos and Venice. Holidays will go on sale from April 29.
Chris Mottershead, Thomson Holidays managing director, said: ” We know that people like flying from airports which are convenient to get to and from, which is why we’re so pleased to add Robin Hood Airport to our flying programme.”
Alex Hunter, chief commercial officer for Thomsonfly said the launch of flights at Coventry had been successful so far.
Report by Ginny McGrath
Ginny McGrath
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