Press Release
Nine Destinations, £21 Fares And 200 New Jobs As North's Low Cost Airline Spreads Its Wings
Manchester Airport Receives Single Biggest Airline Commitment… Ever
A decision 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 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 decision to operate from 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.