TUI reveals routes axed from Leeds Bradford
TUI has axed six routes from Leeds Bradford Airport next summer, telling customers that it plans to grow at other airports instead.
Those who have already booked flights and packages from Leeds Bradford are being the option to cancel their trips with a full refund or fly from another airport.
The six routes that have been axed are Antalya, Turkey; Burgas, Bulgaria; Dubrovnik, Croatia; Ibiza; Paphos, Cyprus, and Rhodes, Greece.
Leeds Bradford Airport confirmed to a local newspaper that the six airports are still served by other operators, with 25 flights available in total to the above destinations if booked with airlines such as Jet2 and Ryanair.
The airport slots vacated by TUI will be offered to other airlines already operating out of Leeds Bradford, it said.
TUI’s scheduled flights to Corfu and Majorca will continue, as will their chartered cruise flights. A statement from TUI seen by The Yorkshire Post newspaper said: "We’ve been able to re-look at our summer 2019 programme and we’ve made a few changes to our flight schedule.
"We’ll be moving an aircraft which was due to be based at Leeds to another airport within our regional network as we continue to support growth at some of our key focus airports for the year ahead.
"This has resulted in a number of flights being cancelled from Leeds Bradford Airport. We are directly contacting any affected customers with alternative travel options and offering a gesture of goodwill."
One passenger told the newspaper he had been offered £50 compensation from the operator to switch his flight to Doncaster Sheffield Airport, which had resulted in him losing one day of his 10-day trip.
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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