11th May 2005
Leeds Bradford to get no-frills Tenerife flights after Robin Hood Airport brings more competition
THE first no frills flights from Leeds Bradford International Airport to Tenerife will take off in the autumn as the budget airline battle heats up in the skies above Yorkshire.
Jet2.com will launch a low-cost service to the Canary Islands hotspot on October 4, with prices starting from £71 one way.
Flights to Tenerife will initially operate three times a week, on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday, but could increase to meet demand.
It is the 15th destination to be served from Leeds Bradford by Jet2.com, and chief executive Philip Meeson said it was boosting Yorkshire's economy by bringing in tourists, students and business people who would have probably headed to rival British airports.
The announcement of the new route comes less than two weeks after the first commercial flights departed from the £85m Robin Hood Doncaster Sheffield Airport at former RAF Finningley.
The Robin Hood Airport has been developed with £80m of private sector inv-estment and is forecast to be carrying 2.2m passengers and 50,000 tonnes of freight by 2014. It also has an 80-acre business park that is expected to create 7,000 jobs.
Carrier Thomsonfly is flying to destinations include Palma , Pisa, Ibiza, Malaga, Jersey, Faro, Prague, Alicante, Dublin and Paris. Business and political leaders expect it to play a key role in reviving South Yorkshire's economy.
Mr Meeson said: "We know that people in Yorkshire and beyond love to holiday in the Canary Islands. It is an incredibly popular part of the world.
"We have been absolutely hounded by people wanting scheduled flights from Leeds Bradford to Tenerife Airport, so we simply had to offer it. However, until today, holidaymakers could not take adv-antage of low-cost scheduled travel, meaning that they had to join package holidays with little or no choice over what day of the week they flew and no flexibility on the duration of their stay.
"We are offering a service which will have flights starting from £71 one way, including taxes. It's great news not just because of the competitive price but it also gives greater flexibility on the days of travel available. Furthermore, it also opens up Tenerife for long weekend breaks, something which has never previously been possible from the region."
Tenerife's attractions include the extinct snow-capped volcano in Teide National Park; and the natural springs at Barranco del Infierno.
Since its launch in February 2003 Jet2.com has carried 1.6m passengers to and from Leeds Bradford. Up to 40 per cent of sales on the Amsterdam route originate in the Netherlands, while 20 per cent of passengers on the Belfast and Venice services are inbound.
The places experiencing the fastest growth in overseas bookings are Barcelona and Paris, which suggests Spanish and French businesses are considering opening operations in Yorkshire.
Jet2.com, a subsidiary of Dart Group, also serves 13 destinations from Manchester and four from Belfast.
Greg Wright
Deputy Business EditorYorkshire Post Today
