Busiest weekend of the year as Easter holidaymakers head for the sun 

The Easter bank holiday period will be the busiest weekend of year so far for Newcastle International Airport, as North East holidaymakers prepare to escape the bad weather that has been forecast at home.

Chris Sanders, Newcastle International’s head of airline relations, said: “We’re expecting around 40,000 holidaymakers to take advantage of flights to and from the airport over the Easter weekend, flying to over 65 destinations worldwide.  We’ve got 580 flights scheduled to arrive and depart over the four day holiday period, with Easter Monday expected to be our busiest day of the year so far.

“Spanish sunshine resorts top the list of the most popular destinations for North East travellers this Easter, as holidaymakers head for guaranteed sun spots across the Canaries, Balearics and Spanish costas.  European city break destinations also feature in our top ten, appealing to those looking to make the most of the long weekend.”

Top ten most popular destinations for Easter 2008 from Newcastle Airport

1.)     Canary Islands (Tenerife, Lanzarote, Gran Canaria)
2.)     Mainland Spain (Malaga, Murcia, Alicante)
3.)     Balearic Islands (Ibiza, Majorca, Menorca)
4.)     Amsterdam
5.)     Belfast
6.)     Bristol
7.)     Paris
8.)     Dublin
9.)     Faro
10.)   Dubai

The Easter weekend also marks the start of the busy summer holiday season, with new routes to Newquay and Plymouth starting in April, flights to Limoges in central France starting in May, and two exciting new long-haul destinations - Cancun in Mexico and Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic - also starting in May.

The airport has the following travel advice for passengers flying over the Easter weekend:

1.) Arrive at the airport in good time for your flight (at least two hours before departure) to ensure you have plenty of time to complete check-in and security procedures.
2.) Check the hold luggage and hand luggage allowances with your airline or tour operator before setting off to the airport.  Weight allowances for hold luggage vary from airline to airline and some operators restrict passengers to one item of hand luggage in the cabin, with others allowing up to two.
3.) Take heed of the security regulations prohibiting the carrying of liquid items over 100ml in your hand luggage.  Pack large liquid items such as sun creams, shampoos, gels and hairsprays in your hold luggage.  Liquid items under 100ml can be carried in your hand luggage, but must be presented at security in a small clear resealable plastic bag.  For further advice, visit the Department for Transport website at www.dft.gov.uk/transportforyou/airtravel/airportsecurity/