Airlines step in to fill Monarch gap
Rivals offer new services from winter
AVIATION: Airlines have stepped in to add extra services over the winter and beyond after the collapse of Monarch.
Jet2.com is responding to the extra demand at Leeds Bradford Airport by adding thousands more winter seats and holidays to Tenerife. In addition Thomas Cook is to begin operating services from Yorkshire.
AIRLINES HAVE stepped in to add extra services over the winter and beyond following the collapse of Monarch.
Jet2.com is responding to the extra demand at Leeds Bradford Airport by adding thousands more winter seats and holidays to Tenerife.
In addition travel giant Thomas Cook is to begin operating services from Yorkshire with flights to Tunisia, Antalya and Dalaman in Turkey as well as Larnaca in Cyprus and services to Parma, Menorca and Tenerife.
As well as these new services Ryanair and Tui are adding new routes and boosting existing services to make good the gap left by Monarch, which collapsed over the weekend.
More than 30 per cent of its 110,000 passengers who were abroad when the airline went bust were expected to have returned to the UK by last night in the country’s biggest peacetime repatriation. Leeds Bradford chief executive David Laws hailed the work of the airport’s staff in securing the new routes and said: “I am delighted that our local Yorkshire airline Jet2.com has responded positively and put more tickets on sale.
“Monarch have two aircraft at Leeds.
“Most of the airlines have their plans for summer in 2018 in place.
“The team has moved very quickly in the last 36 hours.
“Tui have given an additional 10,000 departing seats for next summer, including the Isle of Man, which will allow different kinds of break lengths, plus they have upped capacity on some existing services.
“The big news is that we are delighted to welcome Thomas Cook to Leeds Bradford Airport. To have that brand in Yorkshire is fantastic.
“The repatriation process is going well. My thoughts at the moment are with the Monarch staff who have lost jobs.”
The additional seats from Leeds Bradford Airport make up more than 100,000 extra winter seats which are on sale now.
Steve Heapy, CEO of Jet2.com and Jet2holidays said: “A number of factors have resulted in increased demand for our awardwinning flights and ATOL protected package holidays.
As Yorkshire’s leading airline and tour operator we have added extra capacity from Leeds Bradford Airport so that holidaymakers can continue to reach their favourite winter sun destination of Tenerife from their local airport, starting from next weekend.
“We won’t be stopping at these winter flights, so keep an eye out for further announcements about additional summer 2018 capacity very soon.”
The team has moved very quickly in the last 36 hours. Leeds Bradford chief executive David Laws.