Dart Group News
Nine Destinations, £21 Fares And 200 New Jobs As North's Low Cost Airline Spreads Its Wings
29 September 2004
Manchester Airport Receives Single Biggest Airline Commitment. Ever
A deal which will initially bring Manchester airport SIX dedicated
Boeing 737s, serving NINE exciting European destinations at fares
starting FROM £21, was announced at a press conference in the city this
morning by Philip Meeson, boss of the North's low cost airline Jet2.com.
The company, which already offers low cost travel to 14 destinations
from Leeds Bradford and three from Belfast, sent out a clear message of
commitment to the region with the size of its initial launch - the
biggest ever by a scheduled airline at the North's largest airport.
The six Boeing 737 aircraft - each, like every plane in its fleet, owned
by the company - will initially fly to nine destinations: Budapest,
Faro, Geneva, Malaga, Murcia, Nice, Pisa, Valencia and Venice
with one-way starting fares ranging from £21 to £31 including
taxes.
The first flights will depart on December 1, 2004 from Manchester to the
wonderful Hungarian city of Budapest and the following day to Murcia
close to the world-famous La Manga resort in Spain.
Switzerland is the next launch with a Geneva service commencing on
December 18 - the next service to Malaga commences on February 4 with
four more destinations taking off on March 19, while the ninth
destination starts on May 26 (see full schedule, below).
Seats go on sale at noon today following the announcement, which was
made to journalists in Manchester at 10am this morning by Jet2.com
boss Philip Meeson.
Philip Meeson said: "Our aim is to be the number one airline for leisure
travellers in the North. We're here to build on our overwhelming
success in Yorkshire and in Northern Ireland and we will be offering the
people of Greater Manchester and beyond genuine low cost services.
"We launched at Leeds Bradford with fewer aircraft, and now we dominate
low cost out of that region. This month alone we started a new service
to Paris, launched a new route to Ibiza and announced a 50% increase to
our summer 2005 timetable from our Yorkshire hub.
"This deal here in Manchester will initially mean almost 200 new jobs
for people in the region, from cabin crew and pilots through to check-in
staff and admin support.
"The size of today's announcement demonstrates our commitment to
Manchester airport. It is a clear message that Jet2.com
is not just here to stay, it's here to get bigger and better - we want
more routes, we want more frequency and we want cheaper air travel for
all."
John Spooner, Manchester Airport's Managing Director, said: "Jet2.com
has quickly established itself as a major airline in the North of
England and we are delighted that they have chosen Manchester as a major
base for their future plans.
"'No Frills' is Manchester Airport's fastest-growing sector and we are
pleased that Jet2.com is joining us."
Seats go on sale from noon today for all routes and the first Jet2.com
services starts on December 1, 2004 with daily flights to Budapest in
Hungary and a four-times weekly service to Murcia on the Spanish Costas
the following day, - this route will become a double-daily service by
March.
Ski enthusiasts will be delighted that one of Jet2.com's
first services will be a daily, low cost service to Geneva, the Swiss
ski capital, on December 18.
On February 4, 2005 the first flights depart for Faro, Malaga, Nice,
Valencia and Venice, while Tuscany becomes a low cost option in May with
a summer service to Pisa.
The Big Take-Off Timetable
December 1
1. Budapest, Hungary - daily from £21
December 2
2. Murcia, Spain - four-times weekly (double-daily by March) from £31
December 18
3. Geneva, Switzerland - daily from £21
February 4, 2005
4. Malaga, Spain - daily from £31
March 19, 2005
5. Faro, Portugal - daily from £31
6. Nice, France - daily from £21
7. Valencia, Spain - daily from £31
8. Venice, Italy - daily from £21
May 26, 2005
9. Pisa, Italy - daily from £21
All fares are one-way inclusive of taxes. For full fare
and timetable information log on to www.jet2.com.